Battle of the Ages: Year One
by ArianaJB
Summary: A struggle to grow up, a struggle to be someone, their lives were a constant struggle. And the story is left for her to tell. It all begins here . A Marauders Era Fiction.
1. Prologue

[Title: Prologue]

[Author: JamieRay]

[Music: Chris Daughtry _ September]

[Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply]

[Summary: She couldn't ever forget, the way the others did. So she would put it down on paper and tell the story, to all that would listen, to all that needed to listen, of their Hogwarts days.]

[A/N: Here we go again, I really hope this is the last time.]

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><p>'Everyone celebrated that day. From child to senior, witches and wizards and magical creatures of all ages celebrated that day. They rejoiced for the passing of the darkness that overshadowed them, rejoiced for the fall of the most powerful dark wizard of the age, rejoiced for the freedom of those so long oppressed by that darkness. They delighted in the bringing about of a new era, and so forgot the casualties.<p>

There were so many casualties that day. Those sacrifices that were made for that era, those forgotten sacrifices, that without, the world today could not have been. The passing of lives so tightly intertwined that none could have ended without so affecting the other.

I stand here also forgotten, one of those few who helped bring about that revolution and yet could not rejoice. One who's life was so completely intertwined with those final casualties. As such the task of the passing along of their story befalls me. And so I tell the tale of three men and a coward and the women they loved and protected.

The story begins in that castle that was so like a home. Where five boys of eleven grew to be men and six young girls against all the odds were one. And the children of that forgotten generation who banded together and braved the storm that threatened to tear their world asunder.

This is the story of the men who took the world by storm and made our victory a possibility, and the women who stood by their sides and made that possibility a reality. And the boys that shook the castle walls with their laughter and their life. And the girls that walked those halls everyday through laughter and through strife.

And they lived, like a secret everyone knew existed, a bond none could break, a crazy game not one could understand, a silent trust, or unspoken words heard stridently. This is a story of Friendship, Betrayal, Loyalty, and Passion. A story of forgotten sacrifices made, and the people who built the foundations of the boy who lived. Those few lights that lit up the entire sky as they so quickly burned. The story of those who starred in the erroneously deemed trivial preface of Harry Potter's legend. The story of those who truly saved us.

I'd never seen myself as the story teller, until now as I sit here flipping through the pages of this album, watching our lives go by like a film that plays over and over again. It's a story that I realize no one really knows, a story that I've always know must be told, and though I never thought I'd be the only one left to tell it, here I am.

I'm not sure if there are any of us even left alive, or if it's just me, but if someone is still out there I pray that they too know to pass this tale to whoever will listen, and for those who aren't, I only pray that my account will do them justice.

Just as every person has their roots, every story must begin somewhere; every story has its roots, its origins, its beginning. This story, and the stories of all those that follow, begin somewhere, and sometimes I don't even know where that somewhere is.

It isn't a clear beginning like the storybooks we often read. It began somewhere within the walls of Hogwarts castle, when the bonds were first formed, and enemies were made. When the very first fights broke out, and the very first tears where spent for our loved ones. That is, at least, where it started for me. But I guess it started at different times for all of us.

The place that I will begin, is the place it all began for me. A time when I knew nothing of our world, when I knew only the protection of my parents, only the surface. It was time when I learned of wonderful things and terrible things, when I learned of a whole new world, a magical world. At the time when I received a letter, my Hogwarts letter.'

Diana drew the quill away from the parchment and reread the last sentence. _And to think it all began with a letter._


	2. Letters

[Title: Letters]

[Author: JamieRay]

[Music: Switchfoot _ Meant to Live]

[Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply]

[Summary: They are 11 years old now, and they've been waiting for this moment for most of their lives. The moment when it all begins.]

[A/N: Ok chapters have been combined so it looks like I took things out but I didn't. If you read it already there isn't really any point in rereading because I didn't add anything just reorganized the chapters.]

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><p>He winced inwardly at the feeling of the hard wooden stick crashing between his shoulder blades, his left eye twitching only slightly, but the elder didn't notice.<p>

"Back strait" he commanded shortly, for what seemed to Sirius like the 50th time that day, though it was actually only the third. Rolling his eyes discretely he did as he was told not willing to let this lesson drag on any longer than it already had.

Sirius Orion Black was the eleven year old heir to what was one of the most prominent families of the wizarding world. A family whose wealth, social standing, and above all, blood status preceded all, or at least that's what his mother liked to tell him. The Black family was of the oldest and purest families in wizarding history, and Sirius happened to be the first heir the noble and most ancient house of black. Too bad he didn't give a hoot.

Sirius drew three lines branched out from the names of his parents, _Orion _and_ Walburga_,before writing the final three names, _Sirius_, _Regulus_, and _Elladora_. He placed his quill down quietly on the table, indicating he had finished writing out the family tree for tenth time that afternoon. The silver haired man pulled the parchment toward him, examining the young boys work with a critical eye.

"Very well." He spoke down at the boy when he had no corrections. Sirius shot up from his chair immediately, and dashed across the room, ignoring the protests of his elderly instructor. The boy pulled the heavy door open with little difficulty and was off down the hall, only slowing to a walk as he passed his father's study before dashing back up the stairs to his bed room as quietly as possible, which wasn't too quietly one might add.

The door closed behind him with a snap as he entered the room, and he scanned quickly for intruders, Kreatcher had a habit of sticking his nose into Sirius business. Nothing seemed amiss.

The clock on the wall above his heavily cluttered desk read 3.47. Lessons had dragged on an hour longer than was scheduled, because Sirius' instructor had noticed his restless fidgeting. Sirius hardly ever fidgeted, really he didn't, he wasn't actually ever so restless, but could you blame him on such an occasion. After all, it wasn't every day a boy received his Hogwarts letter.

Sirius crossed the room and threw open his window, leaning out; he scanned the skies for the figure of an owl carrying a letter, his letter. The familiar sound of a hoot called the boys attention a tree somewhere below, to his right, there it was.

Sirius backed into the room allowing the large tawny into the large room, to land on his waiting arm. With shaking hands he hastily untied the large heavy envelope from the owl's outstretched leg, and watched the imperial creature soar back out the open window.

He could feel the parchment between his fingers now, see the acid green writing on the thick paper, it was addressed…

_To: Mr. Sirius Orion Black_

_Number Twelve Grimauld Place_

_Fourth Floor_

_The Serpent Room_

With trembling hands he broke the wax seal, the Hogwarts emblem that had haunted and teased him since Andromeda's letter six years ago. Turning the envelope bottom side up he watched two thick sheets of parchment tumble out onto the bed.

Picking up the first he unfolded it, fingers fumbling to straighten out the sheet of heavy paper. His breath caught as he read the words meant for his eyes only.

_Dear Mr. Black,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…._

Sirius couldn't believe his eyes, held now between his fingers was his ticket out of there, his way to freedom. In one month's time he would be halfway across London boarding a train to a faraway fairy tale he'd dreamed of since he was five years old.

"What are you so excited about." Sirius jumped slightly at the sudden unexplained presence of his little brother looking over his shoulder. He gasped "Is that…"

He nodded "It came, Reg."Were the only words that escaped his lips, or even crossed his mind since he'd set eyes on the large tawny owl outside his window.

The giggle of a small child sounded from the doorway. "You know Mum's going to throw a right fit."Sirius didn't care, he couldn't wipe the uncharacteristically wide grin of his off his face, he didn't want to, it finally came.

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><p>It seemed amazing to her, the amount of racket such a small thing could make. She could hear him now, small feet thundering down the stairs, Andrew wouldn't like it, but she'd handle that later, he'd be leaving for work soon anyway.<p>

His shouts of excitement echoed through the nearly empty house, they were a small family, a household of three, since Liana had moved out four years ago. And little James was their everything.

Born in his seventh month, to aged 41 Cynthia Potter, it would have been all too surprising if there hadn't been complications. A still born, they'd all expected, and had all been wrong. There were complications, sure, there was bound to be, and even now, he was still a bit small for his age, but the important thing was that he'd made it.

"Mum, it came." his voice was quiet and breathless, though more from excitement than over exertion. His face flushed pink and his hair tousled as usual, he grinned, hazel eyes glistening behind glasses that were too big for his face. "It came." He repeated, and she smiled.

Moving forward she dropped to her knees, embracing her son tightly, he obliged for a minute but then began to squirm, struggling against her, and she released him, laughing.

He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow, in a frustrated manner. "Mum, I'm not a child anymore." he scolded her crossly as she moved to stand, returning to the stove where she had been fixing his breakfast. He too moved, climbing up the table to sit on top of the wooden surface. "You've got to stop treating me like I'm nine years old." He exclaimed as if it was such a long way off from eleven.

"I know sweetheart," his mother chuckled as she flipped another chocolate chip pancake onto the stack of 4 and placed it on the table next to him. "Now get down and eat your breakfast." She ruffled his hair fondly.

She would miss him, oh how she would miss him, but it couldn't be helped, he had to go just like everyone else. She returned to the counter, leaning against it she retrieved her now cold mug of coffee, heating it up with a wave of her wand as she watched him smother his food in sweet maple syrup.

She assumed that this was the part where most mothers would worry, but she didn't. Despite his obviously small size, James could take care of himself; he was after all a Potter.

"Sooo…"James began in that 'innocent' tone of voice, and Cynthia just knew he was going to ask for something.

"So." She played along scanning the letter he had brought down with him.

"So, can I get that new comet? You know for the occasion." he grinned devilishly, referring to the broomstick he had been staring at in every magazine for the past week.

"What occasion, you're an eleven year old wizard who got his letter just like everybody else. What is there to be rewarded." She teased. James frowned teasing or not that was definitely a no. "So, why don't we trade that broom in for an owl."

"Aww mum, owls aren't nearly as cool as brooms are."

"Yes but you'll need an owl to write."

"I could use a school owl." He shrugged.

"Well anyway" she continued "it says here first years aren't allowed their own brooms."

"What? Let me see that." He demanded suddenly across the kitchen trying to reach the letter she held up out of his reach.

"Sit down and finish your breakfast." She smirked at his crossed arms and disgruntled expression, maybe she shouldn't tease him so much but he was just too cute.

"So how am I supposed to fly without a broom?"He protested dropping back into his seat though he didn't continue eating his already half finished pancakes.

"Why don't you…use a school broom." she teased, laughing at his expression, caught somewhere between glaring and defeated.

The sound of the door bell ringing caused her slightly hyperactive son to jump out of his seat and dash out of the kitchen.

"James, no running." She called, following him to the front door.

"Hello, Mrs. Kendel." James was saying from his spot in the door way. The Kendels were a muggle family that lived down the street, Cynthia had never met them herself but James would occasionally mention their daughter in passing conversation.

"Hello James is your mother home?" the voice asked, still hidden behind the door. Cynthia tensed, scanning the entrance hall to make sure the area was thoroughly muggle proof, they had never had any of the neighbors come to the door mostly they were just left alone.

"Mum."James called over his shoulder as she came over.

"Yes I'm…"But she trailed off at the sight of the woman standing just over the threshold, her breath caught in her throat. "Evelyn." She breathed.

"It came Cyn, Diana's letter came."

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><p>Remus continued to stare at the letter, sitting on the edge of his bed with the parchment held, or rather clutched, in his small eleven year old hands. He was still trying desperately to comprehend what had just happened.<p>

This was a dream, it had to be, it was impossible, unheard of, it just couldn't be right. And yet there it was staring back at him, his Hogwarts letter.

It was addressed to _Remus John Lupin_, yes that was him, definitely him, unless there was another eleven year old wizard by the name of _Remus John Lupin_, it was possible but not very likely, _Remus_ after all was not a very common name.

His parents of course had rejoiced upon hearing the news, praising the elderly headmaster for all that he had done. Remus couldn't wipe smile off his face for a full two hours after he had opened the letter, confusion written all over his pale face.

He had known since the age of seven, when he had started getting his powers, that he would not be joining his fellow eleven year old wizards when the time came. His parent had sat him down and explained to him, as gently as possible, that he would not be accepted at Hogwarts. People like him, didn't go to school.

Remus brushed the sandy hair from his eyes; he had to admit that at first he didn't quite believe them. He'd nodded and told them it was alright he'd much rather be home schooled either way. But he always believed that one day his letter would come. No matter how many times he told himself it wasn't going to happen, he couldn't squash the hope. Surprisingly enough for once in his life, his dreams hadn't been crushed.

Remus stood, moving towards the dresser in his attic bedroom to stare into the slightly dusted mirror on top. His golden green eyes focused on the ones in the mirror, they hadn't always been that color, just since he was four years old.

Everything in his life had changed that day. But no he wouldn't think about that, his dreams were coming true despite it.

The knock on the door snapped his attention away from his frail refection. He smiled at the figure standing in the already open doorway.

The tall brunette smirked at him, "Ready for Diagon Alley?"

Remus nodded, all too ready, he followed his brother out of the room. Today Remus Lupin would face the world in a whole new light, complications be damned, he'd think about that later. Remus continued to smile to himself as he followed his brother out the apartment door and down the stairs, barely listening to the older boy's reminiscent words about the old school. The only thing running through his mind were the words that had been there all morning. 'It came, it actually came.'

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><p>Peter Pettigrew was quite lucky to be pureblood. That was really all the boy had going for him. He wasn't very good looking, and he wasn't very bright, and he didn't have very many skills or talents either, no the boy was entirely too plain to be remembered. But the Pettigrew's were a pureblood family, and that was just about the best luck Peter could hope for.<p>

There was actually one more bit of luck that the small boy had discovered just that morning, attached to the leg of a large tawny owl at his windowsill. It came in the form of his Hogwarts letter.

He marched now, down the streets of Diagon Alley, after his mother, still a little surprised at the writing on the parchment now clutched in the woman's hand. Naturally, he had grown up around magic, but he had never actually done any himself, the boy was very nearly a squib.

You could imagine the relief and pride on Arnold Pettigrew's face, when he learned that his son was not in fact a squib, and the clash of shock, and excitement, in the eyes of his mother Francis. That was before the worry struck.

Peter's mother was rather more protective of her son than any woman ever should be, but he wouldn't be getting into that now. There were far more important matters at hand for the small plump blonde boy that now stood in Olivander's.

Peter waited quietly for his turn as he watched the elderly man speak to a young boy about his age. The boy was rather tall with dark hair that fell elegantly around his ears, and as he turned Peter caught a glimpse of a pair of blue-grey eyes behind thick dark lashes. He was unmistakable, with those stunning looks he could only be a black. The black family heir Peter assumed.

He had known that there would be two new blacks attending school with him this year, and had been urged by his father to befriend them. Orion black, head of the black family and likely this boy's father, was a business partner of Mr. Pettigrew, and it would be good for business if the boys became closely acquainted. But Peter could only stare as the boy exited the shop, expression cold but eyes twinkling with poorly concealed excitement, his thousand galloon cloak billowing behind him. He could hear his boots clicking against the cobble stone as he walked just past the open window, boots that probably cost more than Peter's entire house.

Peter snapped back to reality as Mr. Olivander came towards him all thoughts of the boy now banished from his mind.

He squeaked in excitement as he was handed his first wand. For the first time the young boy felt the magic flow through him. He barely heard as old Olivander told him of the qualities of his wand, all he could think was how lucky he was to be going to Hogwarts.

He never thought it would come, and with barely contained excitement he waved the wand in his hand, and stared in awe at the sparks that flew out. It was his wand now because believe it or not 'It came.'

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><p>She had bright red hair and flashing emerald eyes. She wasn't too tan, her height was about average. She was about average, about being the key word here.<p>

Whoever told you that Lily Marie Evans was just your average girl down the street was sadly mistaken. Unless of course the average girl could turn a blade of grass into a bird. Or pull a rug out from under her sister's feet without ever touching it. Or even levitate a candle ten feet into the air for better lighting. Then Lily Evans truly was your average girl.

As it was average little girls could not do all those things. And one thing was for certain, average little girls from upper middle class families did not get sent cross country to a boarding school in Scotland at the age of eleven to study magic. They did not receive Hogwarts letters. And they definitely weren't destined to be the most powerful witches of the century. Lily Evans was.

Until the day Lily Marie Evans Received her Hogwarts letter, she was just an average girl, unless of course you count her 'special abilities'.

She was enrolled in a public school, whose name is of no real importance here. She had a best friend. She got top marks in all her classes. She played softball on the neighborhood team. She had an older sister and two loving parents. And she dreamed, she dreamed big. And then the day her letter came her dreams came true. She was no longer average Lily with freakish abilities, no, she was something much more.

Lily and Adrianna happened to be walking home at about that time on that day. Enjoying the mid afternoon sun and talk of the softball game they had no doubt won. They laughed and joked as best friends do, and talked excitedly about starting at the new middle school.

Lily didn't know she wouldn't be starting at that school. She didn't know she wouldn't be living in this house. She didn't know her dreams would be coming true. She didn't know a thing.

The two parted at the gates of the Evans' front yard, Adrianna walking further down the street to her own house two blocks over.

Lily unlocked the gate, leaving it open as she ventured inside, down the path to the front door. She rummaged in her rucksack for her house keys, and retrieving them opened the door. Stepping over the threshold and into the entrance hallway the young girl systematically slipped her shoes off and placed them in the hallway closet before continuing up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Mum, I'm home." she called on her way through the house.

"Alright dear, wash up for lunch, and get your sister." came the reply of the disembodied voice from the kitchen as she started up the stairs to the second floor landing.

On the second floor Lily knocked on the door of Petunia's bedroom and waited for the door to open and her sister's head to peek out, phone to ear. She wasn't disappointed.

"Mum says it's time for lunch." She told the disembodied head of the thirteen year old girl.

"Fine. I'll be down in a bit." She said; hand over the speaker, before she turned back into the room, continuing her conversation, not bothering to close the door this time.

Lily continued down the corridor into her own bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she placed her bag on the bed and began rummaging through her drawers for a fresh change of clothes.

Lily's shirt was halfway over head when the tapping sound on her window caused her pull it back down quickly. The large orange eyes in her window made her jump, before she took in the entire sight. It was just an owl, but what was it doing at her window, and at this time of day.

Going over she lifted the hatch on her window and pulled it open allowing the large winged creature to land on her sill leg outstretched, waiting. An envelope, strapped to the owls leg, Lily noticed. How strange who would be sending a letter via owl? Who would be writing her at all? But it was addressed to her.

Cautiously she untied the letter. Relieved of its burden, the owl hooted and flew off landing in a tree by her window. Possibly awaiting a reply Lily thought, this was so strange.

Turning her attention back to the envelope in her hand, she read the full address before flipping it over. The paper was strangely thick and heavy, and the flap held down by an unusual looking wax seal. Something someone had told her came to her mind. 'Any day now you'll receive your letter too, wait for it, it will come. ' Could this have been the letter he spoke of.

Hurriedly she broke the seal and pulled from the envelope two equally thick sheets of folded paper. Unraveling them, she read…

What average Lily learned that day, upon opening her letter, changed her life forever. And the shriek of excitement that echoed through the house marked the birth of a new, not so average, Lily Evans.

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><p>It had been years, since she'd had any contact with that world at all, five years to be exact. And as she stood there on that morning, holding that letter in her hands, she didn't know what to think. She was scared, she couldn't deny that, to return to that world, to live that life that was meant for her at birth. The life that she had been deprived of, for fear.<p>

It seemed that fear would rule her life forever.

She had been six years old at the time, when her family had gone into hiding. Being so young back then, she couldn't understand what was happening. She couldn't grasp the fear that consumed her parents or why, but she knew now.

They were running five years of running, five years of being chased, by a plague that threatened to tear apart their world. She hadn't realized that they'd lost it along the way.

She'd been a muggle girl for five years now. Hiding fearfully in a lie of what she was, of who she was. They'd lost so much jumping the way they did from city to city, country to country. Identity, family, what it felt like to live in spite of fear.

Melissa missed being home, she missed having one. They were home, her cousin and his family, they always felt like home. They weren't afraid, they weren't ever afraid, like she used to be, she didn't want to be afraid anymore. That carefree life style, they'd held onto, even in times of danger, she wanted that.

He'd be there this year, starting school with her, that cousin of hers with his black as pitch hair and his ringing laugh, and those twinkling eyes. That thought alone gave her more courage and motivation than any other thing in life could.

Thinking on it she supposed the decision wasn't a hard one to make, a frightening one maybe. But she wouldn't let fear rule her life any longer, she wouldn't be afraid, she wouldn't let them win. She would learn to be a witch again, and shake that average muggle girl façade for life.

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><p>She stood there, staring, just staring at that house up on that hill, or mansion more like. The Potter Manor, it had hung over the small town for so long, it still did, nothing had really changed. But it did.<p>

No one ever went up there, no one but that little boy, the one that lived there, in that mysterious house. It was dark, and grand, and so mysterious, almost medieval in the way it hung over everything, but one had to admit, it was beautiful, and it did somehow seem to complete the town.

Diana Kendel was never allowed near that house, and she finally understood why. That forbidden house held secrets, the secrets of her ancestry, of a whole other world she never knew she belonged to.

Her mother had once been a part of that world. Once. That was why she had been kept away, that once.

They feared, her parents did. They feared that she would want to be a part of that world, that she would crave it as her mother did. That she would have it ripped away from her, just as her mother did.

That was why they had done it, kept it away from her, that entire world, and the desires they feared might crush her. They kept it all locked away, in that house, up on that hill.

Diana often spent time with him, the boy that lived up in that house. The little boy with messy black hair and hazel eyes, and a knack for getting into trouble. Just a little boy, until that morning, when everything clicked right back into place.

As it happened James Potter was not just a little boy, and she, she was not just your average girl. She was a witch. A witch that in a few weeks' time would go to a faraway boarding school to study magic.

And as it happened James Potter wasn't just her neighbor, no, he happened to be the son of one of the most prominent wizarding families in England, just like her. He did after all turn out be her cousin.

So Diana Kendel was not just a witch either, she happened to be practically wizarding royalty. The daughter of the Newton family.

And in two weeks' time Diana Kendel would experience this world first hand. At a celebration held at the Potter Manor. In two weeks her neighbor, her classmate, the little boy down the street, would become someone different in her life, she would become someone different, and her world would become something different.

And that's why young Miss Kendel stood staring at Potter Manor in the distance; she simply couldn't wait to be so graciously welcomed into the world that had so long awaited her arrival.


	3. Jitters and a Steam Engine

[Title: Jitters and a Steam Engine]

[Author: JamieRay]

[Music: Jonas Brothers _ Hello Goodbye]

[Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply]

[Summary: There are first day jitters of course, and then there are sorting jitters,every ones got their own reasons for nerves. September first arrives...all aboard the Hogwarts Express.]

[A/N: ^-^Chapter Summaries!^-^]

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><p>There was a celebration of course, held in his honor for simply doing the thing that all eleven year old wizards did, receiving his Hogwarts letter. His parents were proud despite themselves, they simply couldn't help it. Or maybe the feeling was more relief than anything else. Don't get me wrong now, the world had known little James would be a wizard since that time he'd sneezed an broken the dining room chandelier in the midst of his 2 year birthday celebration, this relief was based off something else, something they couldn't place, maybe it was fact that he was growing up,<p>

Naturally as all ancient wizarding families there were a lot of potters to go around, add that to Andrew Potter's business associates and Cynthia's own family and friends and there was far too much to go around.

James lingered in the main reception hall as he was obliged to do during the majority of these gatherings. Scanning the exaggeratedly large room James wasn't surprised to find a few new faces among the usual guests to his parent's parties.

The boy was thoroughly bored out of his mind. Aside from the occasional, exceedingly annoying, tap on the head and a quick congratulations it was safe to say he was completely overlooked, he wasn't quite used to the lack of attention. But he didn't really mind it all that much as long as he wasn't forced into supreme boredom.

Cilia Sinistra stood over by the punch table alongside her husband. She was one of James eldest cousins. Married to supposed seer whose name seemed to slip James mind. Cilia was Hogwarts astronomy professor. There were three other cousins out of Hogwarts as well, though James couldn't currently spot them among the crowd. They were all upstanding ministry officials.

Michael Potter was another of his older cousins, this year's head boy at Hogwarts. Hoping as he was to join their ranks upon his graduation the coming year, he was currently mingling amongst any ministry employees that would give him the time of day, which were quite a few; he was after all a Potter, with quite impressive records one might add.

The twins were present as well, joined at the hip as usual, James noted. Leigh and Liam were this year's returning Gryffindor prefects, sixth years. The two could be found sitting at some table partaking in some sort of conversation with some other children of some other important ministry officials and classmates that James wanted no part in.

Alexia Grimm stood in a queue near the entrance among other girls around their age, Diana Kendel being among them. Alexia was the sister of his brother-in-law, and a distance cousin a couple times removed, or something to that effect. If there had ever been a time that he and Alexia had gotten along James certainly couldn't remember it, the two opted to ignore each other's existence on a regular bases, and when they did speak it was only to argue. James had forgotten what had started the feud so long ago, or maybe it was that he had never known, he wasn't quite sure, all he knew was that she didn't quite like him, so he supposed he wouldn't like her either.

He was all too aware that in one month's time they would be starting school together, possibly, no probably, in the same house. He couldn't help but think that that would certainly prove to be a mildly entertaining situation.

"Bored aren't you." A familiar voice spoke from over his shoulder. James didn't need to turn to know who it was but he did either way. Jacklyn Potter, or 'Jacks' as James would often call her, and her father and baby sister were possibly the only members of his father's family that James had any real relationship with. Jackie had been like a little sister to him since the time of her birth when he had been just four years old.

"Come play chess with me." She tugged on his sleeve.

"Not now Jacks, I'm supposed to stay here." he tugged back.

"Oh, and since when have you done what you're supposed to." She mocked placing her hands on her hips as his mother often did when she scolded him.

Swatting her hands down he stuck his tongue at her. She was silent for only a few seconds as she stood next to him.

"Just one last game before you go." She spoke quietly; James could tell she was upset.

"Don't be stupid, we've still got all month to play." He said reminding her she didn't need to say goodbye yet. She didn't answer. "It's not like I won't be coming back." He tried to reassure her.

"One year is too long." She answered not looking at him. Jackie was a lot like James, she took after him in most of her mannerisms, and as she looked across the hall now at people talking and dancing James could tell she was trying desperately not to let him see how upset she was.

"Come on Jacks, there will be breaks, It will really only be a couple months." He tried, "I'll be back for Christmas."

"Promise?" she finally turned to him, he nodded. James had never broken a promise to her. "So who's the new girl?" she changed the subject.

"As if you know who any of the others are." He scoffed,

"Of course I do" she said before starting to name of the girls surrounding his cousins one by one.

"Ok ok, I get it, you don't have to name them." He said grabbing her pointing hand out of the air.

"Well you should know them too, they come every time." James shrugged, he never paid much attention to the girls, they were entirely too uninteresting.

"Well, are you going to answer my question or not."

"Her names Diana Kendel, she lives down the street from here, just got her Hogwarts letter." He paused, "oh yeah, and she's my cousin." He told the smaller girl next to him.

"Oh, ok." She smirked then, the kind of mischievous smirk that James often wore, but coming from Jackie it always made him nervous. "So let's go talk to them." She grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him along.

"What no." he protested trying to tug his arm away from the smaller girl without using extreme force. Too late, she had pulled him right up to the queue of girls near the entrance.

Finally wrenching his arm from her grasp he straitened his robes, glaring only momentarily at the girl before turning his attention to the five pairs of eyes pinned on him. "Hey." He grinned in that trademark lopsided way. Alexia rolled her eyes.

"So the guest of honor finally makes his appearance." Diana smirked, "late as usual."

"I'm never late." He scoffed jokingly, "It's the lot of you that are early."

"I doubt that." came the sneering remark of Alexia Grimm.

James turned on her, "Well it's a good thing no one's talking to you isn't it." she crossed her arms and glared at him, the same as she always did when she didn't have a comeback. The girls that stood around all stifled giggles.

"So you're starting this year as well huh?"The blonde among them cut in. He was vaguely aware of her being the daughter to one of the schools governors.

James wanted to answer 'well no kidding, why do you think you're here 'but that wouldn't exactly be proper etiquette. Instead he only nodded at the perfectly airheaded comment, clamping his hand over Jacklyn's mouth as he did, as she began to speak the words that had just passed through his mind. "Excuse us; she's on a serious sugar high." He dragged her away to protests of 'I am not'.

Diana giggled at the cousins' antics before turning back to the conversation.

* * *

><p>Miles away in the center of London, in a mansion on Grimauld Place, there was yet another gathering in honor of yet another eleven year old boy.<p>

Sirius Black's family was probably equally as large as that of the potters, probably more so, possibly less, he didn't care enough to figure it out.

What he did know was that they were equally as powerful. As the son of an upstanding ministry official, and a Black no less, there was a lot that was expected of the boy, and as he stepped into the reception hall, small frame decked out in fine silk, he couldn't help but feel something would go terribly wrong.

His cousin Bellatrix would be starting with him this year as well, according to his parents plan, the two would be sorted into Slytherin together, they would make top marks, become prefects, and eventually head students, such was the course of a Black. But something in Sirius' gut told that was not what was going to happen.

Sirius briefly caught his mothers' stern and reprimanding eye as he passed her and his aunt Drualla conversing by the refreshment table. He was late, he knew, and he would surely receive a scolding for that once the party had cleared out.

Sirius reached the spot where his siblings gathered around his cousin Bellatrix, showing off her letter, there were others among them, Evan Rosier, the Yaxleys, Radek and Laine, Cyrus Avery, and Cailan Wilkes, all starting with them this year as well.

"We all got them too you know Bella." He teased the dark haired girl, who smirked at him, tucking the envelope into the inner pocket of her robes.

"Aunt Walburga is going to have fit you know, you should have been down here half an hour ago." he shrugged. Bellatrix Black was the extreme of her sisters. Impulsive and reckless, and loyal to a fault, a true Black. Her and Sirius could not have been more alike if they tried.

"Did you hear, about Cissy?" Elladora piped up from next to him. He nodded; Narcissa was another of his cousins, Bellatrix's older sister. She would be entering her fourth year in another two weeks time.

Fair and pretty, Narcissa was never quite able to measure up to what her sisters were, Andromeda with her natural beauty and brains, and Bellatrix with her traditional black looks and spirit, but being a black Cissy was never one to settle for second best. And so the news that little Ella spoke of was her betrothal to the heir of the Malfoy family. Lucius was the Slytherin 5th year prefect, and the son of a school governor. In her marriage into one of the most respectable pureblood families of the age, she would make up for every shortcoming imaginable, at least in the eyes of her family. The two could be spotted sitting in the armchairs in the back of the room amongst classmates.

The conversation continued, but Sirius found his mind drifting, and his eyes wandering, searching for the missing cousin. Andromeda Black was the eldest of her sisters, and this year's Hogwarts headgirl. Sirius had always looked up to her, despite her tendency to look away, as she did with all the others; he knew she had certain distaste for all the pureblood superiority talk.

She had always been the different one; Andy with her sandy hair and honey toned eyes had always been quite the rebellious daughter. She didn't try to, Sirius knew, she just had her own way of doing things, her own beliefs.

Andromeda Black was a Ravenclaw for starters, the first in a century out of Slytherin. Sirius knew that if something did in fact go wrong with his sorting, as his gut told him she would be right behind him, or at least he desperately hoped.

Sirius was the eldest of his siblings, the heir to Black family, the disappointment. His rebellious streak had put him in his parent's bad books for life, he didn't hope to redeem himself. He didn't care. To be completely honest he didn't believe in all the pureblood rubbish his parents constantly spewed. He didn't care what being a Black meant, none of it mattered to him, not at all.

"Sirius." The voice ricocheted through his brain breaking his train of thought. "Sirius" Bella repeated. He blinked at her.

"Yeah?"

"Off in another world?"She teased the group around them had separated, leaving him standing alone with Bella.

"Yeah. I guess." He shrugged.

"Dinners about to start."

"I'm not hungry, walk with me?"He asked her, she nodded, they could handle their mothers' lecturing later, something was definitely bothering Sirius.

"Alright, what is it?" she asked as they stepped out into the darkness of the night, a warm summer breeze passing over them.

"You nervous about the sorting?" he asked, avoiding the question and answering it in one breath.

"Of course not, why should I be nervous, we'll end up Slytherins just like everybody else, what is to be nervous about."

"What if we don't? Or one of us doesn't." he was hesitant to ask.

"Impossible." Her confidence was encouraging.

"And Andromeda?"She stopped, Bella loved her sister, but she was still the bad egg.

"Then nothing." She answered with conviction, "they'll all get over it, like they did with Andy. It doesn't really matter what a stupid old hat says does it."

He grinned at that, "No it doesn't."

* * *

><p>She brushed the blonde tresses from her eyes and stared boldly around the station. This was it, the start of the adventure she had been waiting for all her life.<p>

Tightening her hold on the trolley in her hands Melissa Stone steeled herself for what was to come. It wasn't so much passing through the barrier that she feared, but what was beyond it, the world she had been running from her whole life.

Lids slid lightly over pale green orbs and she stepped forward, slowly at first but then she began to speed up, no more running away. The sounds and the warm air hit her suddenly, alerting her to her arrival on the platform.

Pulling to a stop beside her father she stared around in amazement at the world she had so long missed out on.

* * *

><p>She stood there, between platforms 9 and 10, utterly lost and confused. The ticked that read plat form 9 ¾ still clutched tightly in her hand, slightly crumpled in her frustrated grip. She should have known it was far too good to be true, there was no platform 9 ¾, this was all some kind of cruel joke.<p>

And now she looked like an idiot, standing in the middle of King's Cross station with a letter clutched in one hand, and in the other a ticket to a train that probably didn't even exist, and her entire family trailing behind her, pushing a trolley with a school trunk and a caged owl mounted on top.

That's right there was an owl, and a wand, and cauldrons and spell books and broomsticks, and an entire town of them, there had to be a train.

Lily Evans was very lucky that at that exact moment, just as she was beginning to doubt her sanity the potter family had arrived to the barrier of platform 9 ¾. She was startled by the small hand unexpected placed on her shoulder. Turning she prepared herself for the worst. She was about to be thrown out for causing a scene with that owl of hers, people don't have pet owls, it just isn't done'. Petunia's words still echoed in her head.

"I'm sorry, I was just…"she trailed off at the unexpected sight of a young boy about her own age, perhaps younger. And when he spoke she was immediately entranced by his hazel depths, and that something in his weird sort of smile she just couldn't place.

"Looking for platform 9 ¾?" he finished for her in a kind of polite but posh sort of casual British accent, she hadn't even realized there were so many ways to describe an accent, not to mention so many contradictions in one description.

She simply nodded, a politely confused look on her pretty face, how had he known. "I didn't think many muggles had owls for pets. Are you muggleborn?" He answered her unasked question, indicating at the trolley, that undefinable smirk still on his face. 'Right the owl is sort of a dead giveaway.'

"Sorry what is a…"

"That explains it then, a muggle is someone non-magic, and a muggleborn is well what you are, someone with non-magic parents that is, no offence, it doesn't mean anything really, just that you're pretty new at this. What did you say your name was?" he spoke so quickly she could just barely keep up.

"Umm…I didn't, but its Lily."

"Well, Lil it's just through there." She blinked confused for a minute. 'How did this conversation even begin….Oh right the platform, but 'there' was just a wall.'

"Umm…"

"You just walk right through that barrier over there, watch." Just then a boy pushing a trolley and what appeared to be his mother came into view, they approached the wall, and just as they were about to hit it, they disappeared, right through the wall, just like magic.

A soft 'oh' escaped her lips, her family seemed to have the same reaction, though they had recovered rather faster, she continued to stare at the barrier and families disappearing behind, distantly catching snatches of conversation between her parents and the strange boy. "Anyone can get through; you simply have to know it's there." He was telling them now as she turned to them.

"Well I should be going now, you too, if you don't want to miss the train that is." He turned to her now. "I'm James by the way." Then as a way of parting "See you then."

She stared at his retreating back as he ran to meet his family. Then grabbing the hand of young brunette about her own age he disappeared through the barrier himself, closely followed by the four adults and the young girl that accompanied them.

James, already she didn't know what to make of him. She guessed he was a first year as well, and had come from a family of wizards, since he already knew what he was doing, but still, he was strange, there was something about him that just wasn't normal. Something about that too messy hair, and those big entrancing hazel eyes, something about those overly expensive looking shoes and clothes, something about him that told her he was well-bred, and yet so completely free and casual. Like he was so very open and natural, and yet it was as if he was hiding something.

* * *

><p>"Sorry about that" he said coming back to her side, "you ready to go?"<p>

She nodded, despite her fear, she could do this, she had to.

His small hand clasped around hers, and he pulled her along excitedly, almost running at the barrier, she was terrified, what if it didn't work.

Seconds passed, as she ran along next to him. She blinked, and before her eyes were open the warmth hit her, not the solid brick wall, but a feeling of comfort and belonging. She was speechless but she smiled; she was going to like this magic thing.

* * *

><p>Remus Lupin stood there, on the busy platform, his mother by his side. She had insisted on staying with him to the very last minute.<p>

He was nervous to say the least; it was all rather frightening, being amongst all these people his own age, people who would soon hate and fear him, as soon as they knew. But they wouldn't know, he simply wouldn't let them know. Remus knew how to keep a secret.

And friends, he couldn't have those either, what would they think, how would they react, he couldn't go through that, so he just wouldn't have friends. Besides, letting someone get so close would be too risky.

Remus wasn't worried about that though, no he was good at being anti-social, he was good at not having friends, his whole life after all had been pretty lonely. And he wasn't nervous about the classes, Remus had always been rather clever, in fact he was expecting to be sorted into Ravenclaw.

Something though, about this whole situation, did make him nervous, something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but something wasn't going to go according to plan. Something big was going to happen to Remus, something that had never before occurred, something he could never fathom. But he had no way of knowing what that something was, and that's what scared him the most.

* * *

><p>Peter had parted with his mother nearly twenty minutes ago. Only twenty minutes and somehow he had already succeeded in getting lost among the throngs of students and family members that all seemed to tower over him. But that was only within the first seven minutes of the grueling ordeal. Yes there was more.<p>

When peter finally had found the train [which in fact cannot be missed, so it is inconceivable how he could have possibly gotten lost in the first place] and boarded, pulling his trunk along behind him, he found himself in yet more trouble.

The angry gaggle of older students [probably Slytherins he told himself] that crowded around him pushing and jeering, were stopped by a rather intimidating blonde first year passing through. The only problem being by the time all that was over and done with there were probably no empty compartments left on the train.

Which was why Peter now wondered the train searching for an empty compartment to sit alone and be ignored in, after all the Pettigrews were always easily overlooked. Little did peter know that wouldn't last for much longer.

* * *

><p>He wasn't sure when or how it had happened exactly but he couldn't really say he minded it all that much. Losing sight of his cousins that is. Somewhere between boarding the train and finding a compartment, Andy, Bella, and Cissy had strayed from him. Or rather he had strayed from them, considering he was the one that zoned out somewhere along the line.<p>

He sat alone now, in an empty compartment, his trunk somehow stashed in the overhead racks, staring out the window. He watched the families' heartfelt farewells, mother kissing and hugging their children, fathers proud of their daughters and sons, looking on teary eyed at their departure. Families that loved and would miss each other, he didn't have that.

His father had been locked up as usual in his study attending to his work, and his mother, she simply had better things to do. He could recall Ella's teary eyes as she hugged him goodbye in his room only minutes before he left and little Reg trying to be strong as Sirius walked away from the house, accompanied only by his three cousins, not to return for another four or so months. He didn't like leaving them there alone, but there were some things that had to be done.

Sirius was snapped out of his reverie seconds later as the compartment door slid open to reveal a familiar young boy, with messy black hair and captivating hazel eyes. Little did Sirius know what would next occur in that compartment would change his life forever.

* * *

><p>Lily leaned out the open window waving wildly to her family as the train began to move away from the thinning crown on the platform. It was sad to say goodbye but she couldn't keep the smile off her face as she anticipated what was to come. And in any case, it wasn't the end of the world, she would see them come Christmas.<p>

Surely she would miss them, she couldn't deny that, she wouldn't even try, but this was something she had to do. She needed to find her place in the world, and the way she saw it, the world was waiting.

She had departed with a promise to 'Tuney' to speak with the headmaster about her coming to school, and she would, but she had to be realistic here, like Sev said, if she didn't have the magic in her no one could make it appear there. Though she didn't quite get why, it was magic after all.

Lily settled back down in her seat, flattening out her skirt she faced her old friend Severus. The excited grin never leaving her face. The now closed window screened images of the passing landscape as the train sped towards Scotland, they would arrive in seven hours, Severus had told her, and she didn't know if she could wait seven hours.

With all its passengers aboard and in place the train began its long journey. Pulling out of the station the great scarlet steam engine had already begun making dreams come true.


	4. Journey There

[Title: Journey There]

[Author: JamieRay]

[Music: Lifehouse _ First Time]

[Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply]

[Summary: Leaving King's Cross station and heading for a new world. It's the time for first impressions, meeting new people, making new friends, and getting sorted. And so they begin thier journey there, to the place where they will one day belong.]

* * *

><p>Golden-green eyes and sandy hair. That is how she would always remember her very first encounter on the Hogwarts express. That first compartment, on that first day, that very first train ride would always be attributed to the calm quiet comfort of that boy, and the suppressed kindness hidden behind warm eyes.<p>

She wasn't sure where James had gone off to. He'd disappeared around the time the time the train had started moving. No doubt hidden behind one of the hundred or so doors that lined the train. Well in any case it didn't matter where he'd gotten to because she wasn't about to go looking for him, she'd just have to find her own compartment.

Diana slid open the compartment door fifteen minutes later, still lugging her trunk along behind her. Poking her head in, she stared around nervously at the only choice she had. One boy sat alone in the compartment, quietly reading in the corner, he didn't look up as she entered.

"Um, excuse me." She spoke in a small voice, so unlike her own. And then he looked at her his eyes a striking mixture of gold and green, and though he didn't seem very welcoming, there was a sort of calm kindness etched in his features. Something about the way he looked at her then made her stay, no matter how much she knew he wanted her to go.

"Do you mind if I sit here? All the other compartments are full."There was a slight pause, and then he nodded indicating the seat across from him. Taking the gesture as an invitation to sit, she pushed the door open further and crossed the red carpeted floor of the small compartment, dragging her trunk along as she went.

As for Remus and his master plan to stay isolated and alone, well apparently it wasn't going so well. He had wanted to say no, even tried to, but the word just refused to come out. He couldn't bring himself to turn her away, there was no excuse he could possibly make, he would have ended up making a bloody prat out of himself and embarrassing the poor girl, and that certainly wouldn't do.

Diana soon learned that the boy wasn't nearly as weak as his frail and worn appearance suggested when he somehow managed to single handedly lift her trunk up into the over head racks, without her pretty much useless efforts. Rather, she had to say he was quite strong for his young age and small frame.

"Thank you" she smiled timidly at him, "I'm really sorry about this."

"Not at all" he replied, his voice quiet and polite.

"I'm Diana Kendel, by the way." she held out her hand, he smiled gently at her, he had a nice smile.

"Remus Lupin." He said taking her hand.

* * *

><p>'He was absolutely infuriating' Sirius told himself, the boy acted as if he owned the place, waltzing in with no regard for the boy already inside. Without even asking he'd stashed his trunk in the overhead racks [with some difficulty considering his size, Sirius was pleased to note], and dropped so casually yet so gracefully into the seat across from the silver eyed boy.<p>

"Hello there." He greeted, as if only just noticing Sirius, slouching so elegantly in his seat. How did one slouch elegantly, Sirius didn't know, but the boy managed it. Sirius shuddered to thing what his mother would do if he'd sat like that in a public place.

Speaking of his mother, what would she say when she learned of the company he'd shared his compartment with. He smirked inwardly at the thought; her angry shouts of ridicule about bloodtraitors echoing in his head quite amused him. He had been told to stay away from the Potters, they were trouble, bloodtraitors the lot of them. But what was he to do when the boy came wandering so willingly into his compartment. Trouble just seemed to find him.

Yes Sirius knew exactly who the hazel eyed, black haired, boy was. The same could not be said for Potter, not completely anyway. He seemed to study him for some time now, a look of recognition upon his face, He knew that face, he'd seen it somewhere before, he just couldn't place it.

"Ah." He spoke suddenly "I got it, you're that Black kid, Sirius wasn't it." His eyes lit up in recognition, a grin spreading across his face as he spoke. "I'm-"

"I know who you are." Sirius cut him off, voice monotone and entirely apathetic. "You're that Potter boy." There was a distinct look of superiority upon his features; James decided he would have to fix that.

"Yes well, Potter boy has a name."He smirked, a certain mischievous glint in his eyes as he spoke. "It's James." He said crossing his small arms over his chest.

Sirius wasn't quite sure what but something about the boy caught him off guard. Something about his pompous attitude and seeming disregard for his pureblood pedigree. Something about his carefree disposition, something about that ever present smirk, something about that mischievous glint in his big hazel eyes maybe. Or maybe it was all of that, he just couldn't say, but for some reason…he liked this kid.

* * *

><p>It hadn't been long ago that they had been joined by the young blonde, Melissa Stone. Remus, always the self conscious one, had been relieved at first to find that there would be somebody else present to take the other girls attention. He didn't know how long he was until the rather talkative young girl had somehow managed drag him right into the conversation.<p>

"I'm hoping for Gryffindor myself." Melissa grinned; he would surely be sorted into Gryffindor. Her own mother was a Ravenclaw, but she wasn't so sure that was where she would be going.

"Ravenclaw" he had answered. "It's were my parents where."

"I'm not sure," the girl shrugged her shoulders, Gryffindor would be nice, considering she already knew someone who would be sorted into that house, though she doubted she could be described as courageous. "I guess I'm ok with anything, so long as it isn't Slytherin." She remembered all too clearly the stories James had told her of the dark wizards, and how horrid they were, She hadn't slept for days.

Near all of them had come out of Slytherin, and their children would be there as well. She wasn't sure she could handle living in a dormitory with those types of people, it was quite a terrifying thought.

* * *

><p>"Slytherin, who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James spoke to the boy lounging on the seats opposite him, his haughty tones only serving to frustrate, the new occupants of their compartment, or rather the original occupants as it was Sirius and James who intruded.<p>

Sirius tensed slightly at the words, though careful not to let it show. "My whole family have been in Slytherin," he said instead, calmly almost with no emotion, testing the boy. He knew that the Potters were particularly intolerant of dark wizards, and as a Black his family had a very well known history.

"Blimey," said James, "and I thought you seemed all right!" Sirius grinned at the obvious joke, trying to ignore the feeling of relief that washed over him at James' smirking reply. It frustrated him that he actually cared what the other boy thought. He was a Potter after all, an insignificant bloodtraitor, or so his mother liked to say.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition." His own words shocked him, to break the tradition, had that not been what he had feared most not too long ago. Thoughts of his conversation with Bella one month previous invaded his mind. 'I didn't matter' they had agreed. But it suddenly did matter again, only for entirely different reasons than before.

"Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" Sirius directed at James who lifting an invisible sword, spoke the only words Sirius had expected.

"'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad."

Snape made a small, disparaging noise and James turned on him. "Got a problem with that?" James had never been one to take an insult lying down, especially not from a Snape.

"No," said Snape, though his slight sneer said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" interjected Sirius. James' contagious laughter filled the compartment, soon joined by Sirius' strange bark like laugh. Lily found she had to fight back a smile as she sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

"Oooooo…" The boys imitated her lofty voice as the compartment door slammed shut behind her.

"Aren't you going to join her, Snivellus, or will you continue to grace us with your sickening presence" James' words dripped with venom, and Sirius had the distinct impression that this wasn't their first encounter, and their history didn't seem too pleasant.

"Watch it Potter -"

"Or else what, you slimy git, you going to call on all your fifth year friends, well they don't scare me, your all nothing but a bunch of cowards." Snape clenched his fist at the boys taunting words.

"Well at least we haven't gotten our selves killed over some ridiculously fanciful ideals, filthy bloodtraitor." James was on Snape in an instant, his fist connecting with every part of the boy he could reach, and Sirius trying to drag him away. In a matter of seconds the head boy and girl were in the compartment pulling the two apart.

With much difficulty the head students managed to separate the three struggling first years, and remove the two friends from the compartment.

* * *

><p>It was twenty minutes later when Lily found herself sitting in a compartment of first year students, like herself, laughing and joking with the three, the boys back in the other compartment long forgotten.<p>

* * *

><p>It had only been a couple hours into the first train ride and they had already gotten themselves into trouble. Andromeda Black stood before the two of them, hands on her hips, looking intimidating, Michael behind her with his arms crossed and that disappointed look in his eyes as he stared down his cousin.<p>

"Sirius Orion Black, you haven't even been sorted yet and your already causing problems for me." Andy wasn't one who liked to scold, in fact she was pretty open-minded when it came to rule breaking, but it was too soon in the year to be letting things like this go.

"I believe it's rather clear that an explanation is in order, James." Came Michael Potter's pompous reprimand.

"That's right start talking you two."

"It's none of your damned business." It didn't take a genius to figure out that James wasn't in the best of moods, in no time his warm and friendly disposition had been completely altered."Since when have you ever given a damn what I do, just stay out of my life, it's what your good at. "

"Watch your tone; maybe I should tell your father about this little incident, he wouldn't be too pleased that you've already managed to disgrace the Potter name, causing trouble in your very first few hours as a student."

"Bite me." James spoke in biting tones. His voice was low but cold and his eyes narrowed as he spoke.

"Come on now don't be difficult." Andromeda spoke to James now "why don't you just tell us what happened so we can move on with our lives, I'm sure we all have better things to do.

"He provoked me so I hit him it's no big thing."He said uninterestedly and refusing to say another word after that, dropped down on the seat waiting for the two to finish their little interrogation.

Michael had opened his mouth to retort but Andromeda cut him off, "Alright fine then get out of here."

* * *

><p>He sat in the corner seat of the compartment looking on as they all ignored him. But what was new about it, he had always been ignored, by the neighborhood kids, by his relatives; it was safe to say that peter Pettigrew was very easily over looked.<p>

Their names were Eric Johnson and Collin Ames it had been a good hour and a half since they had spoken a word to him, so he sat silently in the corner simply watching, such was the life of Peter Pettigrew.

* * *

><p>Talk about mood swings. James sat now, once again across the compartment from Sirius, roaring with laughter and popping every flavor beans into Sirius mouth, and catching with his mouth those that Sirius popped his way.<p>

After he had snapped back in the compartment with Snape he had blown up at the head boy, confessed, and then silently led Sirius back to their original compartment, where they had bought truckloads of sweets off the trolley and proceeded to ignore everything that went down. It was the understatement of the century to say that this boy had Sirius utterly baffled.

Naturally Sirius had kept to himself most of the way, choosing not to comment on James rather volatile reaction to his cousin, or Snape. He hadn't risen to his own defense either when faced with Andy's wrath; it had been James who had confessed all, but only to Andy.

"Look you could see it from here" his voice was full of wonder as he stared out the window at the approaching castle. Sirius couldn't help but run over to stare out the window at the grand structure that was to be his new home. And right from the start of it he could tell this was going to be an interesting year.

* * *

><p>Throngs of students swarmed the station, pouring out of large scarlet steam engine and onto the once empty platform. The pouring rain assaulted them in the open station as they rushed for the carriages, for shelter from the heavy downpour. The first years were not so lucky as the elder students, standing in clusters, lost and confused, they were not allowed the shelter of the awaiting carriages.<p>

"Wow…" a small first year stared in the general direction of the large wooden figures her eyes were glued not on the carriages but what drew them, or rather what didn't.

"Are they moving on their own?" Lily asked from next to the girl, eyes wide, only just realizing what was amiss.

"Of course not, something's pulling them." came the smart reply of one Collin Ames. "Something invisible of course."

Removing his water specked glasses James wiped them with the already damp material of his robes, only serving to smudge them more. "Great now I definitely can't see." He muttered under his breath as he slipped them back over his eyes, blurring even more his already severely blurred vision.

"Don't worry mate, there's nothing to see." An unfamiliar voice answered somewhere to his left.

"Firs' Years over here." The deep gruff voice sounded over the loud clutter of students on the station, catching the attention of all those present.

James squinted through his glasses in the direction the voice had come, but to no avail, the world had become a mess of different colored blurs. "Now that is something to see." The same voice whispered, now over his shoulder. Now he was becoming frustrated.

The blur of colors moved before him, and he swiped uselessly at the smudged up barriers before his eye. When someone removed his glasses from over his eye, bringing the figures only slightly into focus, James swatted at the offending hand, missing drastically. The girl giggled from beside him, before placing the frame back upon his nose. The world suddenly came into focus.

"There that should help." The head girl stood at his right shoulder, "you better hurry up now, or the boats will leave without you."

James nodded his thanks and turned back to the direction where the voice had come from minutes before, the platform was nearly empty before him, most of the first years had already taken boats, some were still boarding, and the older students had long since gone on the horseless carriages.

Leaving Andromeda with the only carriage left for her he hurried toward the lake where the figure of a large man stood waiting for the last stragglers to board. Hagrid the Game keeper, James identified upon sight, he had heard of him from the stories, it could be no one else.

"Alright' there kid?" James nodded, at the large man before catching sight of Sirius, still waiting on shore, out of the corner of his eye.

Sirius wasn't sure why he had waited, the boats had all been taken up by now, but somewhere in the mess and excitement he had lost sight of James. He'd be fine, probably already on one of the boats. But what if he had gotten lost, what if he didn't make it to the castle. Sirius scanned the crowd searching for small familiar figure of James Potter.

Somewhere beyond the giant man Bellatrix sat aboard a boat of her own with three fellow Slytherins to be, one of which Sirius wasn't familiar. She motioned to him to join them, but Sirius didn't react, he wasn't sure quite what made him ignore his cousin's invitation, but he didn't go when she called, he instead continued to search the crowd of first years.

There, hurrying towards him from the direction that Bellatrix's boat had just left the shore was Potter. Sirius turned grabbing hold of the nearest available boat for the two of them to board. Only after the two of them had clambered into the boat did they pay any notice to the solitary occupant of their newly claimed transport.

"Sorry about that." James muttered, pushing damp disheveled hair from his forehead, and ignoring the dark bits that stuck to the side of his face from the water. In the boat the rain didn't touch them, an imperturbable charm, James assumed.

Sirius looked up noticing at nearly the same time the drops of rain that seemed to evade them. "This is quite elaborate isn't it?" he commented, eyeing the floating candles at the head of every boat.

"Can't wait to actually get across." He smirked as the boat began to move of its own accord. "I'm James Potter." He said suddenly turning and holding out his hand to the third boy, who nodded taking the smaller hand.

"Remus Lupin." He answered, his own sandy hair sticking awkwardly to his forehead, but he didn't make a move to push it away.

"And this is Sirius." He wasn't sure whether or not it was intentional, but he couldn't stop the slight smirk that invaded his features when James didn't mention his last name.

* * *

><p>Excited chatter filled the great hall, packed with students ranging from the ages of 12 to 18 and professors old and new. All conversing with old classmates and colleagues that they hadn't seen since three months previous. All waiting for the sorting to begin.<p>

McGonagall's entrance into the hall quieted the lot of them, only a few scattered whispers sounded among the student, pointing out relatives and family friends among the nervous first years. Lily Marie Evans stared around the vast hall in amazement as she followed the wave of first years through the large double doors. The stormy ceiling above, and the candles that hung in the air over four house tables, were figments of a fairy tale world she'd only read of in story books. And Lily kept wondering when she'd wake up from this dream.

The stern deputy head mistress had stopped before the stool at the head of the room upon which rested the withered old hat that would very much decide their futures. Old and worn and cast in the orange glow of the candles that lit the room, the hat had the rapt attention of every child that stood before it when a tear near the seams ripped open and a song burst through.

They gathered at these doors each year

Ready to be sorted

The pupils of our founders

Skilled beyond we all could dream

They divided the students to four houses

Where they surely should belong

To teach them the magical ways

Of the world that they belong

Gryffindor was where those went

With chivalry unrivaled

And bravery unpaired

Slytherin was cunning

And so took those alike

Ravenclaw taught those clever

To follow in her lead

There was none better

Dear Hufflepuff

Was honest and true

And she would take the rest of you

Four pillars stand today

Pillars from old days

That house the students of our school

Who everyday learn something new

The applause of returning students and professors filled the hall as the final notes of the song died and McGonagall cleared her throat calling for attention. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." She called to her now quiet and attentive audience. The first years all looked to each other staring around, whispering nervously to the classmates they hardly new. McGonagall stepped forward, oblivious to dilemma of the small children that gathered around her, and began reading names from the long roll of parchment held in her hands.

"Ames, Collin." Was the first name that sounded through the now silent hall, and every student and professor watched as the frightened redhead looked around him, searching for someone else of the same name. A nudge on his shoulder from the nameless blonde by him side pushed him forward, his feat numbly carrying the rest of the way up to the stool and the tattered old hat.

Collin seated himself on the stool as previously indicated, wringing his hands nervously in his lap as the elder woman placed the hat on his head. Seconds passed, nearly 10 seconds of complete silence before the tear near the seam ripped open once again and the booming voice called out into silence, "RAVENCLAW". Applause and cheers erupted from the Ravenclaw table. Collin grinned, pulling the hat of his head and handing it to professor McGonagall before hurrying off to join his still applauding house mates.

It was easy enough by the looks of it; Lily told herself it was just too simple to be so nervous. But then again she had never been that good with crowds, who was she kidding, all the attention was almost frightening. Lily tried to collect herself as she waited, she hoped she didn't end up looking like that Collin kid.

"Avery, Cyrus" was next to be called, sorted into Slytherin at the touch of the hat.

"Black, Bellatrix" was the third, and she walked towards the stool brimming in confidence and pride. The black haired beauty had a certain air of superiority about her, something quite familiar to Lily but she couldn't quite place it.

Head held high Bellatrix walked among her fellow first years with more arrogance than an eleven year old girl should have been able to muster, but she knew who she was, a Black, and nothing else mattered. When Bellatrix turned to face the other first years as she lowered herself into the stool her eyes scanned quickly over the heads of her fellow first years, she didn't find him, the hat had called her destination before she had the time get a proper look.

"SLYTHERIN" was the expected call of the hat, and Bella rose from the stool and headed towards the cheering table. Her eye caught that of her eldest sister on the way, quietly applauding in her seat at the Ravenclaw table as she passed, and then her other sister smirking triumphantly by her boyfriend's side.

"Black, Sirius" Bella trained her eyes on the crowd as she took her seat by Cissy, but nobody moved.

"Where is he?" Narcissa whispered into her ear and Bella shrugged, she had seen him getting into one of the boats with two other boys, but had lost track of him after that. Andromeda turned in her seat as well to give her sister a questioning look, but Bella only shook her head in confusion. She had no idea where her cousin had disappeared to.

"Black, Sirius" The call came again.

Lily looked around her, thoroughly confused, something was wrong she had seen him on the train she was sure of it. He was one of the boys that had been teasing Sev. The four girls were not the only ones who thought this situation amiss; none had ever missed their call for the sorting before. McGonagall however simply ignored the small mishap and moved on with the coming names.

Lily's nerves grew steadily more agitated as the names on the list neared her own, one by one students were sorted into their respective houses as their classmates waited in nervous anticipation. The call for "Evans, Lily" sounded throughout the hall and Lily would later say she though she did rather well for herself, the only indication of her nervousness being her rapidly paling face.

'Such a fiery spirit' something whispered in her head as the hat slipped over her eyes blocking her view from the staring faces of the crowd. 'And brave as well, I know where you belong'. It was coming from the hat. 'Slytherin ey, but is that what you really want. You're a clever girl, maybe Ravenclaw would suit you, or possibly a Hufflepuff, but you're far too talented for that. No you're far better suited for…' "GRYFFINDOR"

The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers and applause at their new addition, and just like those before her had done, Lily stood from the stool, sweeping her long dark red tresses over her shoulder and her fringe from her eyes, she focused on not tripping over herself in front of the millions of eyes that watched her,

Arriving at the table after what seemed like forever, Lily took a seat next to a smiling brunette of about a year older than her. "Mary McDonald" the girl offered her a hand, which Lily took, shaking it politely before the blonde across from her caught her attention. Anastasia Chrome had joined the Gryffindor table just after the disappearance of Sirius Black, and sitting next to her, Madison Elaine, the shy brunette who had been sorted into Gryffindor just before Lily.

The sorting continued, bringing to the Gryffindor table an assortment of new faces and names. Eric Johnson, Diana Kendel, and Alexia Grimm where next to be sorted into Gryffindor, before another unprecedented disappearance presented its self at the turn of Remus Lupin.

"That's odd." Diana mumbled from two seats down the bench, "I know he was on the train."

"Yes, and that Sirius Black was as well." Lily commented.

McGonagall's eyes scanned the heads of the first years before her, but she let on nothing, only pausing briefly before calling "McKinnon, Marlene." To be sorted.

It was after Peter Pettigrew took his seat twenty or so minutes later that the third disappearance was announced. Several heads turned at the call of "Potter, James" but none answered.

Melissa stared around her from her spot in the center of the hall still waiting to be sorted. He couldn't not be here, this was too weird. She wasn't the only one utterly baffled by the situation, three people missing, all of which Lily had seen and spoken with, and two of which Diana had.

It was only after Radek Yaxley was sorted into Slytherin and Professor McGonagall began to roll up the long parchment in her hands that the large double doors to the great hall were pushed open unexpectedly. It was then that the attention of every student and professor in the hall turned to the three small boys, standing in the open doorway, soaked to the bone and dripping with water from the storm still raging outside.


	5. Flouting Expectations

[Title: Flouting Expectations]

[Author: JamieRay]

[Music: Jonas Brothers _ Hollywood]

[Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply]

[Summary: Naturally there are certain things expected of them. And naturally they throw caution to the winds, expectations be damned. Sirius, James, and Remus make an unusual and quite memorable entrance into their Hogwarts years.]

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><p>It had been entirely James, and Sirius had loved it, and Remus was not too pleased. It started out with that devious little smirk of his and that mischievous glint his eyes, and then…all hell broke loose.<p>

"What do you say we make our entrance a little more interesting." he suggested, smirking, and the tome of his voice gave Remus goose bumps. Sirius had eyed him strangely, not sure he was going like what was coming next, or maybe not sure that he should like it.

"What do you mean interesting?"Remus asked suspiciously, he didn't like where this was going. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Aw Relax Remus, I won't do anything _that_ ridiculous."

"What-" but Remus' words were cut off as he hit the water with a loud splash, James had overturned the boat. Remus scolded himself for not seeing this coming, he should have known the two would try something like this, especially after the boat started falling behind. Remus pushed himself to the surface, gasping and sputtering for air.

Seconds passed and Sirius broke the choppy surface spitting up mouthfuls of water, having been caught off guard as well, and James followed bursting from laughter. "That was wicked" he snickered "you two should have seen you're faces." he laughed harder, at Remus' poor attempt at a glare, and Sirius began laughing himself. Remus found it difficult to contain his own smile, their laugher was so frustratingly contagious.

Sirius skimmed his hand across the surface, splashing James with a face full of water, only making him laugh and splashed back. Remus looked on watching the two, and receiving a few splashes to his own face. The two seemed very close, he couldn't help but envy them. Remus wondered briefly how long these two had been together.

Remus thought it safe to say that had the first flash of lightning not caught the two's attention and brought them both to their senses, they would have been out there well through the night. Fortunately that was not the case.

The swim to shore was a difficult one, considering the choppy waters and high winds the storm had created, but they made it to opposite shore, soaked to the bone a freezing, it was rather cold for so early in the fall. James grinned widely as the three raced across the lawn and Remus thought bitterly that they had surely missed the sorting, and would be well on their way back home come morning, and James would be to blame.

It took the three of them to heave open the castle doors when they finally reached their destination, and Remus found the warmth of the castle slightly relieving, though he knew he wouldn't have that small comfort for long.

It was when they made their big entrance into the extended dining hall, dripping water in trails behind them as they marched boldly up to McGonagall to be sorted, that Remus' troubles really began. It was in that instant that he was first lumped in with the two soon to be legendary troublemakers.

The three boys strutted up the center aisle, or rather James and Sirius strutted and Remus followed behind. Coming to a stop just before the spot where McGonagall still stood in front of the head table, a disapproving look on her stern features, James grinned up at her.

McGonagall stared down at them, lips pursed as she scolded, "In all my years of teaching I have never come across such insubordinate young men, and before even your sorting, explain yourselves."She looked intimidatingly down at them and Remus though it was quite the stupid idea to let James do the talking, but for some reason he wasn't completely aware of they did, and surprisingly enough, it had worked.

"We're terribly sorry professor really, but there really is a terrible storm raging outside, and the boat just seemed to capsize, we didn't know what to do and…"Thinking back on it Remus concluded that it was James endless rambling that got them out of that tight spot, for that was when the Deputy head mistress held her hand up for silence. "…we really are terribly sorry professor." James finished.

It was quite the surprise for most of the occupants of the hall when McGonagall's next words sounded. "Very well then. Mr. Black, hurry now so you can be sorted." The idea of the stern face woman conceding was one that shocked quite a few of her older students and a low muttering sound filled the hall.

And James grinned broadly.

* * *

><p>She watched them closely, or rather him, strutting across the hall as he did, there was really no mistaking it, it could only be him. He had always been one for big entrances, and she could only imagine that was why he had missed his name, undoubtedly dragging down two innocents along with him. 'As usual' she smiled.<p>

But that aside he was here now, standing before the stern professor rambling something she could not quite hear, oh yes it was definitely James.

Melissa Stone hadn't realizes she had spaced out for quite so long, and it was the shout of "Gryffindor" that snapped her attention back to the three boys standing at the front of the hall. Melissa was not quite sure why the whole of the great hall had suddenly frozen in silence but as her eyes focused on the young boy with midnight black hair and a large hat sitting on his head she couldn't help but feel that he was the source of utter shock the froze the residents of Hogwarts castle in their spots.

Melissa was quite alone in her confusion, but when her eyes landed on one Bellatrix Black, sitting across the hall at the Slytherin table eyes staring wide in shock at the boy that bared a striking resemblance to herself suddenly it dawned on her. A Black, sorted into Gryffindor.

* * *

><p>Sirius eyes shifted instantly to the hazel eyes watching him from just beyond the raised platform were the stool sat. It wasn't shock that he saw there as he expected to see, as he knew he would once he tore his eyes away from his new found friend's. An encouraging smile and it might well have been the only thing that gave Sirius the courage to look beyond them to the rest of his audience.<p>

Shock, and then disappointment, that's what he had to expect when his eyes set on the table he should have been moving to sit at. Sirius wasn't disappointed, but for the two familiar faces of his cousins still frozen in that shocked state. Sirius had always been taught to expect the worst, and never hope, the disappointment was just a little late in coming, he was sure. No matter what Bella promised it did matter. After all Ravenclaw was one thing and Gryffindor was something else entirely.

It was quiet, but it broke the silence well enough the sound of clapping that came from James Potter's small hands rung out, spreading as Remus joined in along with a couple more from the Gryffindor table. Sirius smirked, pulling the hat from his head he pushed himself ever gracefully off the stool, and doing the most un-Sirius-like thing he'd ever done, he mock bowed.

Coming up still smirking with a wink at James he turned to the sound of yet more clapping from the very center of where he knew the Ravenclaw table to be, the very place he'd been most frightened to look since the shout of Gryffindor rang through the hall. Andromeda with the pride in her eyes and the smile on her face backing him just as he'd hoped. Who said Sirius ever followed his lessons.

* * *

><p>It was Remus' turn to be nervous as he watched Sirius make his way toward the Gryffindor table. He swallowed hard has he moved toward the stool, he had never been one to crave attention, and the several eyes that followed him made him quite nervous to say the least. Though he had to be thankful for the distraction that Sirius' sorting had caused, a low muttering had filled out the hall since then and not so many eyes focused on the small sandy haired, pale, young man.<p>

Though if they had they would have seen nothing more than conviction, proud and tall but never prominent was the face Remus had constantly held from a young age, hiding away the fears and self-consciousness from prying eyes. Someday they would all want to see him fall; he wouldn't give them the pleasure. But one James Potter saw right through him.

He had seen it from the moment he'd set eyes on the other boy, the unwillingness for company, the fear of getting close to others, an overwhelming self-consciousness, and the admirable ability to hide it all. To all these onlookers it was nothing, he was nervous just like every other kid in his position, but James knew there was something more he just couldn't quite say what.

The one thing that Remus Lupin couldn't hide, didn't want to, was the surprise and joy that shone in his eyes when the tear at the base of the hat opened up to call out the name of his soon to be house. He had hoped, but never dreamed it would come true.

Remus' smile faltered only for a second before he collected himself. Realizing for the first time what this would mean. With a couple seemingly painless yet reluctant steps the boy walked towards the Gryffindor table to join those he had always wanted to be a part of, and the ones he feared most, his soon to be friends.

James' eyes followed the boy to the table where he took his seat by a small blonde girl. But it wasn't Remus that made his focus stray from the entire world around him. James' eyes locked on the familiar pale green of Melissa Stone's, and there was no mistaking it.

"Mr. James Potter" his head snapped back to the older woman that still stood beside the stool, scroll in hand, nodding slightly he stepped up to take the seat that had awaited him for 11 years, eyes shifting back to the girl with the blonde hair, just to make sure she was still there.

'Ah…Another Potter eh.' The voice whispered into his mind as the hat slid over his eyes, hiding the entire hall from view. 'We all know where you belong. Heart of gold you've got, and a mind unrivaled, so complicated you are.' What James hadn't ever expected was the hat to see that small part of him no one else could ever reach. But that is exactly what had happened.

'So many secrets and worries, you hide it well don't you.' His expression never changed as he mentally cursed the hat that still covered his eyes. 'Ah, tsk tsk, what have your parents taught you about your elders boy.' The hat teased, and James fists clenched slightly in frustration. 'Don't fret, you won't disappoint.'

The all too expected call of Gryffindor echoed throughout the hall followed by cheers, because being a Potter meant you were simultaneously a Gryffindor, no questions asked. And James leapt off the stool gracing the audience with his own mock bow, hat in hand. "Thank you, thank you, I'll be here for the next seven years." he joked to wave chuckles that rose from the crowed. And behind the staff table cerulean blue eyes twinkled, this was going to be an interesting seven years.

* * *

><p>The small hand on her shoulder was what got her attention just as those seated around her began to fill their plates with the mound of food that had just magically appeared before them. Grinning, she turned to face him, already knowing who it would be; she hardly gave him the chance to speak before throwing her arms around his waist, and quite nearly knocking the wind right out of him.<p>

"ugh." He grunted at the sudden contact but smiled none the less. "It's been too long hasn't it." he chuckled, letting his arms fall around her, the students sitting around them where staring now.

"It really has, you scared me for a second there, I thought you weren't going to show." She pulled away from him smiling, and looked up into the face of the cousin she hadn't seen in just over five years. It seemed now as if her old life was beginning to return to her, or to the best of its ability at least, some things could never come back. But she pushed that to the back of her mind for now, she wanted to make the very best of what she could get back.

"Oh you know me, I never disappoint." She grinned, and wasn't it the truth.

"I'll see you upstairs alright?"He said and she nodded watching him turn to walk back to the place he had been seated a little while before. And she turned back to dinner and the conversation Lily was currently holding with a brunette in her second year, someone who went by the name of Mary McDonald. And James slid into the seat right next to Sirius Black and began piling food into his plate in the most potter-esque fashion.

* * *

><p>Nearly two hours later in the semi-circular room that was the first year boys dormitory James made beeline for the bed nearest the largest window, claiming it as his own. Spreading his arms out he threw himself backward to collapse on the bed, thoroughly stuffed with every dish and sweet imaginable and ready to call it a day.<p>

Sirius found himself claiming the bed directly to James' left, and peter being the coward that he was took his place the farthest from the intimidating two leaving only one bed between himself and the door, on which Eric spread himself out. And to Remus' sad misfortune the only remaining bed for him to claim was the one in the center of the room, to the right of the window, to the right of James. He couldn't have had worse luck.

* * *

><p>The girls seemed to click rather nicely, despite being a bit shy, but that hardly lasted long as Anastasia chrome was never the shy type and wouldn't settle for the awkward unfamiliar silence.<p>

"I call that one." She yelled upon entering and made a mad dash for the center bed by the small window that overlooked the quiddich pitch.

"Fine then this one is mine" Diana called from the bed on the other side of the window, the view was just too wonderful to pass up.

"No fair I wanted the one by the window." Melissa nagged Diana, "I want the view of the pitch."

"The what?" was Diana's answer.

"Oh look this one overlooks the lake and forest" came the small shy voice of Madison from across the room. In an instant Melissa had changed her mind and was claiming said bed as her own, and being the timid young girl that she was Madison let her have it and settled for the bead just next to it.

"You girls are so immature." Alexa flipped her hair over her shoulder as she walked towards the only remaining bed.

"Well good thing you're the mature one, you won't mind then that you're bed is the only one without a window." Lily teased.

"What no fair." The five other girls laughed at the expense of their roommate.

Alexia dropped down on the remaining bed and glared at the five giggling girls that were now her room mates.

"So Melissa how do you know Potter." It was Anastasia that spoke up taking mercy on the other blonde. "I mean I've never heard of the Stones, I thought you were muggle born." Her mother being pure blood

"Oh, no James is my cousin, I'm half blood, my mother was pure blood, and Dad is muggle born. We kind of grew up together, well for a while anyway."

"Don't envy you that, he's a right git, Potter is." Alexia rolled her eyes.

"I don't actually know what to make of him, he is quite contradicting."Lily put in.

"Oh, I don't think he is all that bad." Diana spoke up. The group looked at her questioningly and she explained further. "He lives just down the street from me, well that and he is my cousin as well."

"Wait I thought you said you were muggle born, the Potters are very old pure blood family."

"Yes well I'm not really sure what I am, mothers a squib and father, well he is a muggle, I'm not really sure what that makes me, but until just a couple weeks ago I had no idea about any of this."

"Who is your mother?" Melissa questioned suddenly interested in the other girls heritage.

"Newton is her maiden name, Evelyn Newton, she's-."

"James' mother's sister, my mother was a Newton as well, Olivia Newton. Talk about a small world." Melissa was in disbelief. The other girls around the room looked on in shock as well, a small world indeed.

* * *

><p>Laughter rung out in their dormitory, it had only been a mere few hours since he had met them and already there was never a dull moment.<p>

Remus shook his head disapprovingly, suppressing the smile threatening to burst, he could honestly say that so far he was the only person within their dormitory that didn't absolutely adore the boy, James that is, Sirius was rather more subdued. Frankly Remus felt that James was the head of the duet and Sirius only followed, that boy was getting himself into a mess, and Remus didn't envy him in the least, well maybe just a bit, they were definitely having fun, and all Remus could think of was that impending first night as his eyes trained on the wildly thrashing tree.

"Ahhrgg" Remus' face hit the window suddenly as the pillow fell to the floor and he turned on the two laughing hyenas behind him, glaring.

Sirius was at any rate suppressing his laughter however badly, as he sat on the bed fist in mouth. James on the other hand was doubled over on the floor laughing even louder at the glare he received from his fellow roommate.

"Come on Remi" he chuckled as his laughter began to subside, but then the fit began again at the appalled look on Remus' face [at the nick name] and he couldn't continue.

"Come on It was a joke" Sirius bent to pick up the pillow and replaced it on his bed. "Don't worry about him he's probably had a bit too much sugar is all." He spoke to the taller boy as he eyed James curiously.

"I have not, I'm perfectly fine." James spoke suddenly snapping out of his laughing fit.

"Well then I'd hate to see you hyped up." Remus returned exasperatedly.

"Merlin, what crawl-"James retort was cut short by Sirius.

"Enough you two"

It didn't take long for James to snap back to his normally carefree disposition and settle into his well chosen bed, overlooking the forest and the whopping willow. Remus settled into his own bed by James' and wondered how in the seven hells he was going to make it through seven years of this.

'Well at least they don't seem too bright, being in Ravenclaw would have been a mess in a situation like this.' Remus fell asleep to these thoughts of the boys he would spend the better half of the next seven years with, maybe more.


	6. Begin Again

[Title: Begin Again]

[Author: JamieRay]

[Music: Rascal Flatts _ Stand]

[Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply]

[Summary: In which Remus Lupin is not yet 'a brooding anti-social prat' and Sirius Black receives a howler and wants to start anew.]

[A/N: Well that went faster than expected and I have to say I'm a lot more comfortable with this format. So the next chapter will start up new rewrites again, and things are going to be added and changed up a bit, so you can kind of call them new chapter just with a similar outline. Please Review! I haven't gotten any reviews here in forever :( ]

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><p>His eyes fluttered slowly open but he didn't budge, he merely opted to lie there motionless in his bed taking it all in. It was all so surreal, everything from the scarlet of the curtains that surrounded his bed and the sheets beneath him, the golden trim that would line scarlet walls when he pulled back the hangings of his bed, and the glorious lack of silver and emerald green, to the boy that lay asleep just beyond the curtains in the bed next to his own, the boy with messy black hair and hazel eyes.<p>

James Potter, who would have thought in a million years the Black family heir would befriend a Potter, and not just any Potter, James seemed to be at the center of the game, the heir to his own family. Sirius shuddered at the thought of what his mother would say at the thoughts that passed through his mind at that very instant. Befriend a Potter, now that was a laugh, Sirius was not to associate with bloodtraitors of any kind, and especially ones so high-strung as the Potter family. Somehow it didn't seem to bother Sirius much, what could his mother possibly do to him that she hadn't already done. Then again he wasn't so sure he was willing to face some of the things she'd already done again. Walburga Black certainly knew how to deal the worst of punishments.

That lead him to yet another concern he'd been having lately, he was a Gryffindor, and he knew perfectly well just what his mother would think of that 'What a damn disgrace'. Yes a disgrace indeed that he had to carry such a name as Black.

Sirius shut his eyes tight and mentally shook himself, it hadn't been the first time he's felt that way about his heritage, but he knew it certainly wasn't a way to think. Of course he had been told constantly for as long as he could remember how lucky he was to be a Black, but with the upbringing he had and all the talk of pureblood superiority Sirius wasn't so sure. Even with the sheltered life he'd lived he had heard of muggleborn and halfblood wizards, or mudbloods as his mother liked to call them, who had reached places in life that most purebloods never did. He knew purebloods, such as himself, were somehow supposed to be better, but he couldn't ever seem to grasp how, James seemed to have the very same idea, all the Potters did.

When Sirius finally gathered up the motivation to pull back his bed hangings and sit up in bed he found the room to be quite empty. Blue-grey eyes squinted against the sun, his eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness within his four-poster. Sirius ran his hand through his hair pushing it back into place, eyes scanning the room before landing on its only other inhabitant. The sandy haired boy sat at the edge of his bed, two over from Sirius, pulling on his school shoes.

"Hey" Sirius said, his voice quiet and still a little scratchy from sleep.

Remus looked up at the sound of the other boy's voice and smiled slightly. Sirius sat so strait and tall, every hair in place even as he slept, the boy practically radiated of fine pedigree. "Hi yourself" he answered after a small pause. "You really should be getting a move on, breakfast started nearly an hour ago and we are supposed to be getting our timetables today."

Sirius smirked "I think that's the most I've heard you say since the boat ride." Remus didn't answer, opting to divert his eyes instead; he hadn't realized he was being that obvious. "Do you really hate him that much?" Sirius did have tact he just opted not to use it in most cases this was one of them. He was slightly disturbed by the fact that the other boy didn't like James for one reason or another. When Remus didn't answer Sirius decided not to take the hint and went on either way. "Why not?"

Remus couldn't very well answer that one honestly, what was he to say 'he's just too friendly.' The truth was that he didn't want to like him, he didn't want to like anyone for that matter, but James and his overly social personality just seemed to be the more dangerous.

"I don't hate him." Remus said. "I don't even know him." Remus pushed himself off his four-poster and busied himself with putting away his things; it was plainly obvious to Sirius that he wanted the conversation to end. "Eric and Peter already went down to breakfast, and James is in the bathroom." He continued to speak only on a different less personal subject, hoping Sirius would just drop it, he didn't want to seem like the jerk.

'Ah so that's what their names were.' Sirius made a mental note to remember that; it wouldn't due to forget his roommates names. Opting to let the subject slide simply because his own position wasn't too ideal either. Being the Black heir in a house full of Gryffindors, Sirius had no idea that to Remus his differences meant relatively nothing. Black was merely a name Remus' infliction, however, said far more about the character of the person than a mere name did.

Seconds passed in silence, Remus continued to rummage around the room and Sirius only sat quietly on the edge of his bed waiting out the awkward silence. It wasn't until James finally emerged from the bathroom that Sirius did move. Pushing himself off the bed he headed in the direction of the bathroom. "Wait up for me." He said quietly as he passed, before letting the door fall shut behind him.

James walked across the room towards his bed, towel drying his hair as he went, and Remus never moved to acknowledge his re-entrance into the dormitory.

"Morning sunshine." he smirked teasingly at the sandy haired boy knowing all too well how much he'd hate the pet name.

Remus rolled his eyes but still refused to make eye contact, something he'd learned rather quickly was that addressing the boy directly only fueled the fire. Soon he would learn that the fire didn't need fueling because James chose not to acknowledge the obvious 'back off' gesture from the other boy.

"In high spirits as usual are we?" his tone rich with sarcasm he smiled, pulling the shirt of his uniform on over his head. James opted to give the boy the benefit of the doubt and call it first day jitters, or homesickness, or something to that effect rather than just write him off as a brooding anti-social prat. "Who's that?" James asked indicating to a picture frame on Remus' beside table. He was fully clothed now, sitting on the edge of his bed tie slung around his neck as he tried to do it up properly.

The picture was of Remus and an older boy standing just outside of Olivander's in Diagon Alley, the two looked strikingly alike, and James had reason to believe he was a close relative. The picture was fairly recent, Remus looked hardly a day younger than he was now, as he sat in front of James, but something about the picture did strike him as odd. The Remus in the photograph looked rather more healthy than the one that sat before him now, the Remus that stood in Diagon Alley, in front of Olivander's not two weeks before, didn't look quite so pale and sickly or quite so thin.

James inwardly shrugged, 'probably just nerves, at starting Hogwarts'.

"It's my brother." Remus answered after a long pause "Just after I received my letter."

Bingo, "Does he go here?" James asked dragging out the conversation a little, though the boy in the picture did look a little old to be a seventh year.

"He did, but not anymore he graduated a few years back." Remus replied trying to sound as short as possible before getting off the bed and going to his trunk, trying to look as busy as possibly.

"Bet he'd be proud." The whispered words where barely heard from the smaller boy that still sat on the bed eyes scanning the photograph. Had it not been for Remus' almost wolf like hearing he never would have picked up on the sound of the other boy's quiet voice.

"What was that?" Remus asked closing the trunk back up as he addressed James.

"I…said he'd be proud…to hear you made Gryffindor of course, I know my parents will be." Something sounded strange to Remus about the not so smooth way he said it.

"Oh." he answered not quite buying the perfectly plausible answer for one reason or another. And James thanked his lucky stars when Sirius entered the room just seconds later to break the awkward tension.

* * *

><p>"I just don't see the point behind it, it's all just so unreasonable." Anastasia was saying, or rather complaining, when the remainder of the first year Gryffindor boys arrived for breakfast early that morning.<p>

"What is?" James cut in sliding into a seat nearby, next to Diana. Diana, who was by now accustomed to it, only rolled her eyes as James picked bits of food off her plate. It was the third day of term and James had made this particular habit his daily routine.

"You know there's a pile of food just in front of you." She commented mildly, taking a back a roll from him as she spoke.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Yes, but you always get the best pieces first." He explained taking a particularly juicy piece of sausage off her plate. "So, what was so unreasonable again."

"Quidditch," Mellissa filled in, "they won't let the first years play." James of course had had previous knowledge of the new rule now set into place at Hogwarts, according to which the only airtime first year students were to be allowed was during flying classes. Needless to say it did not sit very well with James.

"I've heard, it's total rubbish if you ask me." James grumbled.

"Oh, A Quidditch player are you?" Anastasia prodded, interested, she herself being an absolute fanatic of the sport.

James smirked, "Only the best chaser…" but the rest of his words were drowned out when the screech of an enormous black raven sounded through the air. The large bird seemed entirely out of place amongst the dozens of post owls now arriving at its tail. It was to the surprise of the first year Gryffindors that the owl headed straight for them swooping low enough over their heads that the group ducked in order to avoid its talons.

The bird let out another defining screech, stretching it's talons to drop a single scarlet envelope into the waiting lap of Sirius Black.

"Shit" it was mumbled in an undertone, hardly audible over the upset the raven had caused, flying low over the Gryffindor table before taking off back out of a top window.

In the distraction that the bird had caused Sirius had managed to duck out of the hall scarlet envelope in hand. His quick thinking might have actually worked had the howler not burst into flames in the middle of the great hall.

The heads of every student turned as Sirius stopped dead in his tracks staring wide eyed at the letter that scolded him mercilessly before the better part of the Hogwarts population.

"Foul DISGRACE! How DARE you SHAME the blood of your ancestors! A GRYFFINDOR, an ABOMINATION to the NOBEL HOUSE OF BLACK! Not even a day and you've already tainted the name of Black. INSOLENT CHILD, WORTHLESS BLOOD TRAITOR! MARK ME SIRIUS ORION BLACK, YOUR BLUNDER WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED! You and that filthy blood traitor in detention already. Your father and I are MOST DISPLEASED by your THOUGHTLESS actions. And YOU will stay far away from that FOUL Gryffindor scum. Consider yourself warned Sirius."

Sirius flinched as the last echoes of his mother's voice sounded through the entire hall, low and menacing, the parchment too bursting into flames. He stood frozen on the spot a shocked still silence filling the dining hall for what seemed like forever to the young Black, before the inevitable sound of murmurs filled the hall, the sound wasn't the cheerful one of chattering student that had previously circulated the large room, the din of murmuring students was lowered now to whispers, and Sirius could feel the entirety of the great hall watching him.

Breaking into a run Sirius sprinted out of the hall, head down as he ran not knowing exactly where he was going, he only knew he could no longer stand the leering eyes and taunting whispers of his fellow students.

* * *

><p>Sirius wasn't entirely sure where he was at the moment; he had never been to this part of the castle before. He vaguely recalled taking a flight or two down the stairs, maybe more, he wasn't quite sure. His footsteps had slowed down considerably now and the tap of his expensive new boots echoed eerily against the walls.<p>

The corridors down here were darker and Sirius could smell the feint odor of damp stone in the air. It wouldn't be entirely farfetched for the young first year to assume he was in the dungeons. He vaguely remembered being told that this was where the Slytherin commons were located, somewhere in the dark dank corridors of the Hogwarts dungeons.

The shrill laugh of a girl caused Sirius to nearly jump out of his skin. And the deep voice of a boy from around the corner followed, telling Sirius they were probably older students. "He was an absolute joke." The boy was saying with a snigger, and the girl laughed in agreement.

Sirius knew how absolutely illogical it was but the boy's words echoed in his head as if he had been referring to his own pathetic display not five minutes before in the great hall. Or had it been longer Sirius wasn't entirely sure how long he had been wandering the near empty halls of the castle.

Footsteps from around the corner told Sirius that the pair was walking towards him, and he turned on his heel and headed quickly back in the direction he had come in his attempt to avoid being caught near the Slytherin commons, there was no doubt they would know who he was and it didn't take a genius to figure out that he wouldn't exactly be welcomed.

Sirius ducked his head as he walked so as not to be seen by the two that passed him in the hallway now, still speaking in obnoxiously high tones. "I hear he's just a mudblood." the girl sniggered.

He slowed to a stop once the students had passed, watching their backs disappear down the long corridor. Sirius had to admit he was rather ashamed of his own attitude lately. Ducking his head in embarrassment, running, hiding, it certainly wasn't like him.

Sirius wasn't ashamed of being a Gryffindor; he was rather proud to be completely honest; he hadn't thought so at first. But Sirius was sure now more than ever he wouldn't have felt welcome amongst his Slytherin classmates, amongst all the pureblood superiority talk, it would have been just like Grimmmauld Place, and the world he had tried so desperately to escape for years. Among the Gryffindors Sirius had the chance to start anew, and who was he not to take it.

Resolve renewed, Sirius broke into a run once more heading back in the direction he assumed he had come, he was definitely going to be late now and to his first flying lesson at that, and that was definitely something he didn't want to miss.

* * *

><p>James took up the rear as the first year Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students filed out into the courtyard behind Professor Flint, the flying instructor. Sirius had yet to show after his disappearance from the great hall and James was starting to wonder what had happened.<p>

They were well into the start of the lesson by the time Sirius finally did show up. Professor Flint had long since finished taking roll and was in the midst of a dreadfully long, at least in James' opinion, speech on why flying lessons were so "terribly important for young wizards such as themselves." James just desperately wanted to get into the air.

Sirius had rushed into the clearing somewhere towards the end of Professor Flints droning. "Well, finally decided to join us have you." The man turned on Sirius, his obnoxious voice condescending to say the least.

Sirius had come to a stop slightly off to the side of where the large group was lined up, each with a broom by their side. "Sorry Professor." He panted, "I got lost."

"Very well then." He pursed his lips in a disapproving manner, "Your name please."

Sirius faltered for minute "Sirius…Black." He said with some hesitation. The man eyed him strangely but didn't say a word merely checking his name off on the parchment in hand. "Grab a broom and take you place Mr. Black." He said resignedly. "You lot would do better to be on time and pay attention during these classes…"

James signed heavily as he launched into yet another boring speech, while Sirius selected a broom from the pile on the floor at Professor Flint's ankles, and joined James in line among the students. James' eyes on him made Sirius suddenly aware of what had heard earlier, his mother's parting words that echoed through the great hall for all to hear, suddenly conscious of the fact that James would likely not want to be anywhere near him now, Sirius wished he had been wise enough to choose a better spot to stand.

"You haven't missed anything." the whispered voice was James' "he's just been talking a hell of a lot." James smirked. And Sirius looked slightly confused at the boy next to him; whose attention had now turned rather reluctantly to the professor's words. Drowning out his thoughts Sirius did the same, not wanting to be caught not paying attention.

"…as our class time here is cut relatively shorter than your other classes." Sirius managed to catch the final words of the second of Professor Flints long winded speeches. "Now where was I…" he cast around for an answer.

James' hand shot into the air almost instantly, earning him several awkward glances from his classmates, Sirius being one of them. Despite it being only the third day James was known not to pay attention in class, and Sirius was fairly certain he had never seen the boy raise his hand once.

"Yes, Mr. Potter was it?"

"Yes sir." James nodded, "sir you were just giving directions to mount our brooms." He suggested innocently. Remus eyes locked onto James, a look of confusion on his face, and James catching his eye winked and smirked.

"Right you are Mr. Potter." Remus raised his eyebrows in disbelief how could the man have been so easily tricked. But nobody said anything, rather sighs of relief rose from the class, as he 'repeated' the instructions. "Wand hands out over you brooms now, and concentrate, UP." Professor Flint went through actions as he explained them, receiving a few gasps of astonishment from the muggleborn students in the crowd when the broom rose to his command. "Go ahead then."

The students followed suit each with a hand out over the broom lying at their feet they attempted to call it into their hands. Sirius and James being two of the few students that managed it on the first try, Sirius having been taught from a young age the finer points of flying, seemed bored with the task, and James, merely anxious to get into the air.

Professor Flint began circling among the students helping each individual to complete the task. James sighed heavily. "It's hopeless."

Sirius found James restlessness rather amusing, he knew from James' choice of conversation topics over the past days that James had rather an intense love of flying.

"Splendid the both of you." Professor Flint commented in passing, before going to help a small blonde. If Sirius recalled correctly Remus had said the boy's name was Peter, and he was currently yelling 'up' repeatedly at a broomstick that refused to do more than wriggle around in the grass. James had a point, this just might take forever.

Several minutes passed before the call of "Mount your brooms." echoed across the lawn. And Lily eyed the broom in her hand, she wasn't sure she really wanted to trust the thing. And Mellissa Stone next to her was having much the same dilemma; she hadn't ridden a broom in years, and wasn't sure if she could still manage it.

James however had no such qualms, mounting his broom and kicking off before Professor Flint had even finished giving the order, James was soaring through the air. Several students looked up in amazement, and others more in bitterness than anything else, Sirius was sure he distinctly heard one Ravenclaw muttering about what a show off he was.

* * *

><p>By the end of the lesson most of the students had managed to at least hover over the ground, though not without incident. One Ravenclaw girl had somehow managed to be flipped through the air by her broom, and Peter Pettigrew had been thrown from his broom no less than three times.<p>

Students where filing out of the field now, Professor Flint gathered stray brooms. James approached Peter, poorly suppressed laughter still shining in his eyes, he didn't need to hide it, Peter had seen them laughing earlier, James Potter and Sirius Black.

"Come on Pete." He said holding out his hand to the boy still sitting in the grass, traces of laughter still evident in his voice, and the boy that stood behind him was smirking. Peter took his hand and let James pull him to his feet. "We can't all be as good as I am." He joked, "and besides if everyone could fly, we wouldn't have to take this class now would we."

"Two sickles says Snivellus womps twice as bad." Sirius smirked, and the two laughed.

"Come on, we're supposed to have charms next." James said over his shoulder walking away towards the castle…and Peter followed.


	7. Learning to Fly

[Title: Learning to Fly]

[Author: JamieRay]

[Music: Billy Joel _ Vienna]

[Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply]

[Summary: In which rules are broken and Madison fancies quidditch boys.]

* * *

><p>Sitting cross legged in the center of his bed back up in the dormitory Sirius was lost in thought. Everyone had already gone down to dinner, except James who was currently in the bathroom washing up. Sirius had to say it had worked out rather nicely considering he was hoping to speak to James alone before dinner.<p>

The words that his mother had said, or rather shrieked across the hall that morning at breakfast were the source of Sirius' nervousness. He didn't understand really why James had reacted the way he did, or didn't. He had expected a fight from the way she had spoken of the boy so openly and bitterly, he had expected him to at least be insulted, but James had all but ignored it.

It would have been a stretch to say that he hadn't been aware she was referring to him. James after all, despite what he let on, was a rather bright boy, Sirius could tell simply from the calculating stare the boy so often took on when faced with the odd behavior of their roommate Remus Lupin, That boy always seemed like he had something to hide, but then that was getting into to whole other thing entirely.

"You're still here?" Sirius hadn't even realized he had zoned out when his attention was brought back into the room by the voice of James Potter.

Sirius looked up eyes focusing on the boy as he straightened, a habit that sharply reflected the lessons he'd been taught as a boy.

"Why are you still speaking to me?" Sirius asked abruptly.

James' eyebrows shot up, but from the lack of hostility in Sirius' even tone James knew the words hadn't sounded the way they were supposed to.

"I mean…Why aren't you more angry about the howler? Why aren't you angry at all?" It did not take someone particularly perceptive to notice that Sirius was a bit socially awkward, but he had a strange secure confidence about him, he didn't stumble over his words.

James shrugged moving over to sit on the edge of Sirius' bed. "I figure it isn't really your fault. It wasn't you who sent it after all."

Sirius raised his brow half in confusion, half in disbelief, could this boy really be that naïve.

James sighed and in impatience and lifted himself onto the edge of Sirius' bed. "I mean, considering you're still talking to me, and that she so mad, I just assumed you didn't agree with her…"James paused "but I guess if you do, that's a whole other story." He didn't take his eyes from Sirius, waiting for a reaction.

For the minutes after Sirius had ran from the hall at breakfast James had been anxious, The idea that the boy might suddenly stop being his friend made him nervous, more nervous than he would have liked. And then when he had returned James had been all but confused by Sirius' inconsistent attitude towards him.

"I don't agree with her." Sirius said finally after a short silence in which he had tried and failed to decipher the enigma that was James Potter.

"Good, than we don't have a problem."

"It's not that simple." Sirius insisted, James was taking the situation far too lightly.

"What isn't simple about it? You're not cross with me and I'm not cross with, what could be more simple?" James explained his twisted logic as if it weren't some complicated arithmancy equation, hands gesturing in the air because his friend refused to understand the simplicity of the situation.

"My Parents have a problem with you, how could that be simple." Sirius insisted.

"Well then were even." And for a minute Sirius thought James would say that his parents didn't approve of James' choice of friends either, after all the Blacks and the Potters had a long twisted history together. "Because I've got a problem with them too."

Sirius couldn't suppress the smile that came to his face at that, somehow James disapproving of his parents seemed ridiculous. And it took him a minute and a look at James' grinning face to realize it was a joke, and Sirius began to laugh, quietly at first and then louder when James joined in. And Sirius wasn't sure why he was laughing, because it really wasn't all that funny, but maybe he was just relieved.

When the laughter had died down James was the one to speak. "Sirius I don't care if your parents like me or not because you're my friend not them, but if you care…if you don't want to be my friend." James trailed off; he didn't want Sirius to care.

Sirius was quiet for a long moment, longer than James would have liked. It wasn't that he didn't know what he wanted, because he definitely did, Sirius had seen this coming, his parent's anger, a confrontation; he even could have taken a guess at the howler. But he never expected a realization to strike him that it didn't really matter that they didn't approve of this one little thing, because they never really approved of much. And because Sirius was a Gryffindor now, and they weren't likely to be proud or accepting of anything he did for a long while.

"I didn't say I didn't want to be your friend," Sirius spoke up, "and I didn't say I cared either." When James looked at him Sirius almost saw a smile on his face. "It's not really their business is it."

James nodded and smiled "Well good then."

* * *

><p>The pressing quiet of the dormitory around him was begging him not to disturb his roommates, but then again, when did James ever listen to reason. The growling of his stomach was far too insistent; he needed to get something to eat.<p>

Reaching out the bedside table James felt for his glasses, and secured them on his nose before pushing the covers off. He shifted to the edge of the bed and pushed himself off as noiselessly as possible. James took quiet steps across the dormitory floor, careful not to wake the others. His eyes shifted back and forth between the four still occupied beds. One in particular, the one to the right of his own, had him particularly on edge. Remus Lupin didn't stand James as it was, and he didn't want to have to deal with an angry roommate at this hour of the night, and on an empty stomach no less.

James passed Remus' bed and was nearing the door when the thought occurred to him. He didn't know the way to the kitchens. Turning back around his eyes fell on the bed the farthest from where he stood. The drapes around Sirius Black's four-poster were pulled shut like the others'. Sirius, having been stuck with him in detention [for being late to a lesson], hadn't had any dinner either. James was sure Sirius wouldn't mind accompanying him on his search for the kitchens, especially if he too was hungry.

Ever the risk taker, James tread back across the room as quietly as possible, eyes trained to Remus' bed the entire way. Reaching his destination he grabbed hold of the bed hangings and drew them back gently, flinching when the rings of the curtains screeched against the railings, betraying him to the silence of the dark room.

James whipped his head around to look across his bed at the one on the other side. But the curtains remained drawn and no movement could be seen. Letting out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding James turned back to the curtains and nearly jumped out of his skin when he was met with a pair of startling grey-blue eyes.

"Wha-"Sirius began but James cut him off with a 'shh' and a hand over his mouth. Vision still hazy, Sirius had to squint into the darkness to catch the silently mouthed 'kitchens' that James sent his way before pointing at the bed where Sirius knew Remus lay and putting his index finger before his lips in a motion of silence.

Sirius nodded, getting the idea and eased himself off the bed wincing when the bed springs squeaked beneath his weight. The two of them froze, eyes trained again on the beds of their roommates, only moving again when they were sure no one had awoken.

Outside on the landing James leaned heavily against the door breathing loudly simply because he could.

"Come on." Sirius whispered motioning with his hand for James to follow him down the dormitory stairs incase the other Gryffindor boys could hear them in the stairway, they descended quietly, with some difficulty on James' part.

Once down in the common room Sirius turned to James. "Do you even know where the kitchens are?"

"Why do you think you're here?" James retorted "To help me find them genius."

"But I don't know where they are either." Sirius rolled his eyes as if James was being ridiculous.

"That's why we're _looking _for them." James sighed, "Are you hungry or aren't you?" Sirius had to nod at that, because in fact he couldn't sleep on an empty stomach. "Then come on." James turned from him and headed across the common room towards the portrait hole, and Sirius followed, not having much choice.

And as James stood pushing open the portrait, Sirius decided he was just going to have to say it. "You know…you're absolute rubbish at sneaking around."

And James turned to him, hazel eyes narrowed behind thick glasses, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Just go." And Sirius grinned, and crawled through the portrait hole.

* * *

><p>It was a fair two weeks into term, when three of the first year Gryffindor boys gathered in the trophy room to serve yet another detention. It was the fourth and final for the stunt they pulled during the sorting ceremony, and the last time he would be forced to endure the company of the irritating troublesome pair, Remus thought bitterly, clutching a rag in his fist.<p>

Filch had exited the trophy room a short while ago, leaving them to polish the thousands of trophies sans magic. And so far Remus had rubbed diligently at the rewards, each of which told a story of Hogwarts history. And Sirius and James had snickered so irritatingly over his shoulder as he worked.

Remus stopped polishing, clenching his fist against the silver of one of the many Quidditch cups that littered the room, the stench of the polishing potion they were meant to use already making him nauseous.

James laughed, and Remus snapped. Letting the trophy roll onto the floor with a loud crash, he stood, turning on them. "You know we wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the two of you, and you aren't even attempting to help." He hissed angrily throwing the rag at their feet.

"Oh relax, it's only been, what two minutes since he's left, we've still got hours." James replied offhandedly, exaggerating the last word.

"It's been at least a good fifteen minute, so unless you can do all of this on your own in two hours, I suggest you get a rag and get working." Remus' voice was back to its usual low tone, his moment of outburst gone, but the tension still hung in the air.

"I'll do it in less." James retorted, setting himself up for a challenge.

Remus crossed his arms over his chest, "Be my guest."

Sirius rolled his eyes, he was beginning to think they were never going to get over themselves and stop this meaningless feud that seemingly had no root. "Don't be daft James that isn't possible." He put in finally he knew James' confidence could sometime be overbearing but he hadn't been aware that the boy had such farfetched expectations for his own abilities. James was good, but nobody was that good.

James smirked giving Sirius a look that screamed 'watch me' before kicking aside the rag and drawing a long branch of smooth mahogany from his robes.

"We aren't allowed to use magic." Remus protested.

"Well then why are they teaching us if we can't use it, and besides, nobody's here." he said over his shoulder going towards a large house cup awarded to Ravenclaw five years previous.

Sirius' brow rose 'You don't even-'Sirius never finished the sentence because with a muttered incantation the once smudged and grimy trophy was gleaming in the dim light of the overhanging chandelier. "Have you been reading behind my back." Sirius accused.

James laughed.

"I can't believe you're even breaking the rules in detention." Remus began.

James sighed, not in the mood to be lectured. "Do you want to get out of here or don't you. Without magic we'll never finish." With another tap of his wand James made another trophy gleam and turned to his friend. If Remus didn't budge James knew that at least Sirius would.

Sirius was already smirking, no persuasion required, "how do you do the spell?" he said.

Remus' arms dropped from where they had been crossed over his chest. "No you can't, you'll get us in even worse trouble." He insisted, Remus tried not to sound as anxious as he felt but he certainly wasn't ready to serve more detentions, or worse, expulsion.

"Relax, there isn't anyone here to see." James and Sirius' smirking faces were far from reassuring. When James turned back to a third trophy and tapped it lightly with his wand, Remus averted his eyes to the rag at his feet, always avoiding temptation. He bent, taking it in his hand and ignoring the sound of James' voice, teaching Sirius the incantation.

Remus turned back to the trophy he'd dropped earlier, and picking it up he examined the large dent were it had hit the stone floor. He knew a spell that could fix that, He remembered reading about it, what seemed like years ago, when he had been so sure he wasn't ever going to be standing here in this castle.

Remus wondered briefly what would get him into more trouble, the dented trophy or a spell no one would ever know he'd used. His long suppressed adventurous side was beginning to surface again, and try as he might he couldn't suppress it. Maybe it was the sound of Sirius and James friendly banter as they worked over his shoulder, or the prospect of being punished for the dented trophy, or the nauseating stench of the polishing potion in the tub at his feet, but doing this the way he was supposed to suddenly seemed so much more uninviting.

Remus tried not to think about the thrill of breaking the rules, he could remember all too clearly how far it had gotten him. As a child he had always been an adventurous one, he had loved the thrill, a side of himself that constantly conflicted with his cautious disposition since that day.

How would anyone know they had used magic, was it really a risk if there was no one there to catch them at it, and they wouldn't really expel them just for casting a couple simple spells would they. Detentions he could take, but Remus didn't want to be expelled. And when had detentions become ok.

What if they were watching now, wouldn't they have stopped them already. What if he got caught, but what if he never did, Remus smiled at the thought, the thrill of keeping it all a secret, no one would ever know. He was so absorbed in his internal conflict he hadn't realized James was speaking to him until he had taken his hand, the hand that Remus had only just realized was gripping his wand.

He couldn't remember taking it from his pocket, he couldn't even remember deciding to try, but James was grinning over his shoulder, like he'd just won the lottery and speaking again.

"It's simple enough," he was saying, "just a tap and…_expolio_."

Remus looked on, as if detached from the scene, as James took his hand through the motions and cast the charm. "Where did you learn that?" Remus asked not realizing he was initiating conversation with the dangerously social James Potter.

James shrugged, "Michael hasn't polished his badge the muggle way since his seventeenth, I've seen him do it a couple times."

Remus tried not to express how impressed he was that the other boy had learned just be watching.

"Just try it." James encouraged when Remus' only reply was a raised brow.

Remus moved to the next trophy and reached out his wand hand, still not entirely sure he wanted to do this, but he wasn't one to back down. An anxious thrill was building up inside him, and he tried to suppress a smirk as he taped his wand to the silver and whispered, "_expolio_".

Remus suddenly became aware of his surroundings again when James hand came to his shoulder, "see, the world is still fully intact." He joked, and Remus realized he was grinning stupidly.

Sirius let out a breath of relief, having had his fingers crossed the entire time. This could very well be a turning point.

* * *

><p>Remus stirred in the darkness behind his bed hangings, eyes still blurry from sleep, though his hearing was as sharp as ever. Being a normally heavy sleeper Remus wouldn't have ever felt the slight disturbance in the air, or heard the familiar whispers of two of his roommates, if it hadn't been so close to that time of month. But as it was, James and Sirius' luck was not particularly good on that night, and it, in fact, was a mere four days from that time of month.<p>

Remus pulled aside the bed hangings, his sharp eyes searching out the disturbance. The scrape of the curtains must have alerted them to their roommate's consciousness because, just as expected, the two boys stood frozen in the center of the room. "Are you going somewhere?" Remus didn't attempt to keep the challenging tone from his voice, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Err…the kitchens?" It was James, of course, who replied.

"I don't think so, it's far past curfew." Remus pushed himself into a sitting position as he spoke.

"Come on Remus we all missed dinner, you must be starving too." Sirius put in.

"If you get caught we all lose points, I'm not going to let you do that." Remus reprimanded. "You should have gotten something to eat after detention. "

"Getting caught isn't a part of the plan." James declared as if that solved everything.

"We aren't allowed in the kitchens either way." he demanded.

"You aren't going to tell on us are you?" Sirius challenged, daring the other to say he would. Remus remained silent, if there was anything he wasn't it was a snitch.

For lack of anything better to say or do Remus layback down pulling the curtains back around his four-poster, immersing himself in darkness.

"Thanks mate, we owe you one."

"We'll bring you something back" came the feint whispers of the two boys before the door shut with barely audible click behind them.

With no other possible course of action to take Remus crossed his finger and hoped they wouldn't get caught, Ravenclaw was already ahead in the running for house points.

* * *

><p>"Come on, get up" there was an insistent nudging at his side, Remus of course was awake, but maybe if he pretended he wasn't the annoying voice would go away. "Remi" James whined. Remus' arm swung out in the direction of the nudging and calling.<p>

James seemed to have ducked back just in time to miss the painful hand to his stomach, because he stood back, hands on his hips, smirking triumphantly. "Knew that one would get you."

"What do you want?" Remus shot back crossly.

"To share." Sirius stated simply from where Remus was only now noticing him, next to James, in his hand and bag of what Remus presumed to be food. It didn't seem as though he was going to get that much sleep that night either way, Remus pushed himself out of bed.

* * *

><p>"Read 'em and weep girls." She smirked, turning out her palms to reveal the cards held between the fingers of both her hands.<p>

Her declaration of victory was followed by a chorus of sighs and whines of annoyance, as the rest of the girls sitting around the small circle in the center of the first year girl's dormitory all threw their cards down in the center. They had been playing with a muggle deck one of them had fished out of the bottom Melissa's trunk when Diana had finally convinced her to unpack the blasted thing, and only two weeks later than was normal.

The issue was that the magical wardrobe the girls' dormitory had been fitted with was just that, it was magical, and Mellissa was hard pressed to trust anything magical at all. Call it a ridiculous idea, but how was she to know it wasn't going to just, 'magically swallow up all my things', as she had so eloquently put it one morning over breakfast after Lily had complained that she had spent 'a little too much time searching through you trunk for clean socks, don't you think?'. To which her friends had laughed and James had told her she had spent far too much time in the muggle world, and had become 'slightly touched in the head', and 'would you please come back down to earth now.'

Lily stared the girl down with a searching look in her emerald eyes. Madison Elaine was her victim. Madison was quiet, plain, and shy to say the least. And Lily was very much curious about the quiet little girl that sat in the back corner of the classroom, and hoped the world would just ignore her existence.

"Alright Madison, fancy anyone?" her face went red.

"Er, I- no one really." She barely managed to stutter out.

"Come on Maddie, you must answer." The game was simple the winner would choose one of the other girls in the circle and ask her any question she wanted. The other would have to answer under the condition that not a single word said would be repeated to anyone outside the circle.

Madison twisted her hands in her lap and mumbled something indistinguishable.

"Sorry?"

"Jordan Lain." She mumbled again, this time barley audible but still heard. The girls sounded their approval of the tanned brunette fourth year seeker of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

* * *

><p>Footsteps sound from behind the boys. James froze in his tracks, Sirius and Remus tumbling into him, and the three boys went tumbling into the tapestry.<p>

"Merlin Potter, warn a bloke before you stop you like that." Sirius mumbled rubbing the back of his neck.

"Shh, quiet they'll hear us." Remus elbowed Sirius hard in the ribs.

James didn't notice the bickering, or the shoving that then ensued, he was looking somewhere beyond them. "Hey Sirius, isn't that your cousin." It was a harsh whisper that came with tug on the other boy's sleeve.

Sirius' attention snapped up to the standing over them, lips locked in what seemed to be a rather passionate kiss, hardly noticing them.

Remus stared wide eyed at the two, James stared amused at Sirius, and Sirius…"Bloody Hell- !" well he gave away their position.

James clamped his hand over Sirius mouth but it was too late they had been spotted. The two jumped apart cheeks deeply flushed, either from their activities or being caught, one couldn't quite tell.

"Damn it Sirius do you ever just disappear." Andromeda rounded on them, looking more flustered than cross. "What are you doing out this late anyway it's far past curfew." She turned back to the other man, who James had just recognized to be Ted Tonks, the Care of Magical Creatures professor's young new assistant. "Why don't you say something you're the authority here."

"Not in these circumstances." he chuckled, "I'll leave you to it then, after all who better to do the job than family." then pecking her on the cheek he dashed out from behind the tapestry.

Sirius jaw hung open, he stared wide eyed at his cousin, her face reddened further, still she crossed her arms and stood her ground, this was not the time to give in no matter how adorable he was being. "Sirius Orion Black close your mouth, that's not very proper."

"Neither is snogging a professor." he teased. "I wonder what auntie would say, Tonks, which family is he from again?"

"None he's muggle born." she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?"

"He's muggle born alright, and he's not a professor he's an _assistant_ professor."

Sirius mock gasped in horror.

"Oh, as if you've ever cared." Andromeda gathered her nerves and glared down at him.

"No but I know someone who might."

"Tell Cissy and Bella and I swear I'll make you pay."

Remus spoke up then. "Take off this week's detentions and I'll personally make sure he keeps his mouth shut." James looked at the usually quiet and soft spoken boy; he was impressed to say the least.

Andromeda looked flustered. "Come on Andy it's a fair trade" James put in, backing Remus up.

"Not a soul all of you do you hear me."

The tree boys smirked triumphantly, nodding in unison. "Our lips are sealed."

"Now get to bed before I have to give you a detention for tonight." she grumbled storming out of the corridor.

"Good call Remi, I didn't know you had it in you." James clapped him on the back.

"Don't call me that." He shoved his hand away

"You know I'm really starting to like you Remi." Sirius said slinging his arm over the smaller boy's shoulders.

Remus rolled his eyes; they were never going to let the name go.


End file.
